


Resident Evil: Legacy

by BGShepard



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 23:58:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 41,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7382734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BGShepard/pseuds/BGShepard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Ambrosia Chronicles Part Two</p>
<p>It was spawned by the vengeance of a US President... now Ambrosia is being used by others to create a legacy for themselves.</p>
<p>Biological warfare has found a new weapon... and only the BSAA can stop it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

 

**Russian Bio-Weapons Research Base**  
**Codename: “RED OCTOBER”**  
**Russian/Georgian Border**  
**Caucasus Mountains, RUSSIA**  
**May 20th 2015**  
**09:53 MST**

  
    “Impressive…”  
  
    He had reviewed the briefing packet nearly two dozen times and was still in awe at what lay before him.  The new biological weapon described within its pages was elegant, cohesive… and altogether deadly if used effectively.  With that, Colonel General Pavel Sergeyevich Petrovsky turned his attention away long enough to light his Cuban cigar and take a deep drag.  After exhaling a long puff, he closed his eyes and smiled.  
  
    For the past two decades he had been the Motherland’s leading authority in biological research for new and advanced weaponry.  He’d seen much… and presided over much worse within the walls of this facility.  However, despite everything his nation had accomplished in their secret partnership with Umbrella and his own dealings with Albert Wesker, he had never seen anything quite like this.  
  
    Glancing back down at the document, he traced his index finger over one word emblazoned with capital letters:   ** _AMBROSIA_**  
  
    _The drink of the gods…_  
  
     Truth be told, it really hadn’t come as a surprise when the Defense Minister had personally debriefed him the day prior.  Not just on the weapon sitting before him but also the nation who was providing it – The Eastern Slav Republic.  Long before the woman had spent her exile years in Moscow, Svetlana Belikova had been a trusted ally and partner in the realm of biological research.  After all, it had been **_he_** whom she had sought out in supplying her with B.O.W.s to deal with her own nation’s armed rebellion, and the opportunity had given him the chance to field test some of his team’s latest creations.  Even though those events had eventually led to her forced resignation, it had done her well to maintain certain “friendships”.  And with a little help from his nation’s political leadership, she was now back in power and returning the debt by providing him with this new weapon.  
  
    _Politics_ – it was a ballet of power that he despised with a passion.  There was too much hand-holding and pretty words exchanged to invoke any real trust.  How could one put their faith in such obvious cowards who had never once served on the field of battle?   For his nation however, their alliance with the E.S.R. was beneficial two fold.  Not only did the Russian Federation have a loyal ally in President Belikova, but they also had a new base of operations for their western expansionism.   ** _That_** was what **_he_** wanted – to be a part of the renewed glory of the Russian Motherland.  
  
    When his father had served in the Politburo decades ago, the borders of the former U.S.S.R. had stretched from the Pacific Ocean all the way to Eastern Germany and as far south as the Black Sea.  Now, his nation was an anemic shadow of its former glory as it continued to chafe under the sanctions placed on it by the Americans.  The economy was facing ruination; the ruble having even less value than the shit he’d taken in the privy earlier that morning.  His country’s fortunes would need to change and soon… and this new weapon might just provide the opportunity it so desperately needed.  But first, he would need to see more.  
  
    A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts.  Looking up from the papers, he saw his aid standing in the doorway at attention.  
  
    “General Petrovsky, sir,” the man said as he saluted.  “The ‘representative’ has made her arrival.”  
  
    Punctuality was a strong quality of Belikova and her people, and he was glad to see it translate here as well.  Standing from his desk, Petrovsky donned his general’s jacket and let his aid escort him to the conference room that had been prepared for today’s meeting.  When he entered the room, he found the woman and her counterpart standing next to the long table awaiting his arrival.    
  
    He’d already read the file sent to him by NKVD on his guest.  A former French Special Forces commando, she had joined on with Umbrella’s UBCM division before the company’s decline back in the late 90s.  She was a highly skilled and trained killer – an individual whom he could respect.  Now it seemed as if she had found employment within Belikova’s ranks.  
  
    “Miss LesProux,” he said with a smile.  “It is a pleasure to welcome you to The Russian Federation.  I trust your trip met with no problems?”  
  
    The woman arched an eyebrow before a noticeable smirk flicked at the corner of her lips.  “Even in May, the Caucasus Mountains are a bit cold for my taste, General,” the woman replied evenly.  “You may call me LUPO for the duration of this meeting.  President Belikova sends her regards along with her promised prizes.”  The woman then set a large metallic case on the table and her associate did the same.  
  
    “May I introduce you to her field representative that will integrate himself under your command?”  The woman then motioned toward her counterpart.  
  
    This was the first time Petrovsky had taken a full look at the man whom Belikova had sent as her advisor.  While he would be reporting to her on the results of the Ambrosia Virus, the man would also integrate under his command structure.  Initially, Petrovsky **_had_** been surprised when Russian Intelligence had found virtually no information on him except for an obscure nickname he was known by – “The Devil”.  From his build, the man was obviously young and was dressed in full tactical gear.  He also had a proud way in which he held himself.  It was the mark of an individual who had been a devout soldier in the past.  However, the feature which made him stand out was that he was wearing a full special operations mask over his entire face to which only his eyes could be seen – and one of them was grey and lifeless.  
  
    His attention then shifted back to his guest when LUPO began to speak.  
  
    “Everything else you were promised concerning the virus is here in these two cases.”  She had opened the lid to the first; revealing three large vials with a yellowish hue.  “Dr. Carson informed me that you have the proper facilities to manufacture on a large scale, yes?”  
  
    That was part of the “arrangement” that Belikova and this Dr. Linda Carson had struck with his government.  The two of them would provide access to this weapon in exchange for Russia’s manufacturing capabilities.  
  
    “My nation has already agreed to the terms that were set forth,” he replied.  “However, in order to attest the viability of this new virus, I must see its effects first hand.  After that, we may proceed as planned.”  
  
    With that, he signaled to his guards who were standing watch by the doors.  They immediately opened them; allowing two men in full biological containment suits to enter the room.  After they had secured the Ambrosia vials, Petrovsky turned back to his guest.  
  
    “We have the proper facilities within this complex to conduct experiments and manufacture all types of biological agents.  My people shall set everything in motion to test this Ambrosia Virus.”  He then motioned toward her.  “I trust you will accompany me and my men to the testing chambers to witness the effects of this new weapon, Miss DesProux… unless of course you find this part of your employment…”  He paused for effect. “… distasteful?”  
  
    He was intentionally putting her on the spot; checking to see what sort of response he would receive.  A person could tell a lot about his friends or enemies by the way they reacted when pushed.  Having four heavily armed guards standing in the room would only add to this effect.  However, all of it was done with a purpose – to ascertain the confidence level Belikova and her people had with this new weapon.  
  
    The woman smiled coolly before responding.  “Of course, General.  Please lead the way.”  
  
    The “Red October” complex had been in existence as far back as the early 1990’s when the U.S.S.R. began to invest in the idea of bio-organic weapons to be used in battle.  It was during this time that the KGB had been hearing whispers that the Umbrella Pharmaceutical Corporation had been working covertly with the American government to create “super” soldiers to be used as front-line shock troops.  It had been a discovery which had merited further investigation, and as such he had infiltrated Umbrella’s ranks with his own protégé, Colonel Sergei Vladimir to ascertain exactly what was transpiring between the two.  What the man had discovered had completely changed the way modern warfare would be conducted.  
  
    Weapons of untold power were being developed within several key research bases inside the United States and Europe – weapons in the form of biologically enhanced creatures.  With a little political influence from his father and other allies within the Russian government, they had been able to convince Umbrella executives to set up shop within the Caucuses at an abandoned chemical plant.  And with that, Vladimir had continued his role in sending detailed plans for several bio-weapons back to Red October.  With his shadow lab here in the Caucuses Mountains, Petrovsky and his own team had been able to duplicate the experiments; giving them access to these new weapons.  While the weapons held untold power, they were also unstable.  
  
    However, the relationship between the Russian government and Umbrella began to sour once the pharmaceutical giant has been implicated in the biological disaster that had ravaged the American town of Raccoon City.  Vladimir had also become a dangerous liability to his work as the man’s obsession with Umbrella and its owner, Oswell Spencer, began to threaten all that his nation had worked so hard to achieve.  And in a final act of rebellion, Vladimir eventually abandoned Mother Russia in pursuit of his own biological creations.  Petrovsky had then been left with little choice – his friend and colleague had to die.  
  
    To his good fortune, whispers had reached him that an opposing agent by the name of Albert Wesker was also in pursuit of Vladimir which had presented him with the perfect opportunity.  Not only could he remove Sergei from the picture, but he would be able to plunder the traitor’s secret Umbrella lab of all its creations.  With a new alliance cemented between them, Wesker had then killed Vladimir and shared the secrets of the Red Queen, and in return Petrovsky had provided the rogue operative with protection within his nation’s borders.  It had been a mutually beneficial deal between them until Wesker’s death in Africa back in 2009.  While a useful ally had been snuffed out that day, another had risen in the form of Svetlana Belikova.  
  
    As they headed into the testing labs, Petrovsky could see his scientists were already in the final stages of preparation.  The testing chamber itself was a sealed glass enclosure in the shape of a large box that measured five meters on all sides and ten meters high.  Inside, were the three test subjects – two men and a young woman.  
  
    “Who are these individuals?”  LUPO asked.  “Criminals?”  
  
    He turned to face her.  “There are many individuals whom my government provides to this facility for experimentation – criminals, political enemies, malcontents… and those who ask the wrong questions,” he replied with a smile.  “Regardless of their past misdeeds, these people will right the wrongs they have committed by advancing the cause of their homeland.”  
  
    Petrovsky then turned his attention to the lead scientist.  
  
    “Are we ready, Doctor Borodin?”  
  
    The doctor lowered his mask.  “Yes, Comrade General.  We may commence at any time.”  
  
    “Then by all means begin,” he replied.  “I wish to see what this weapon can do.”  
  
    The chamber soon grew deathly quiet as the machines hummed to life.  The subjects inside the chamber began to panic by banging on the glass and pleading for their lives – offering whatever they could to atone themselves.  It meant nothing to him for he abhorred traitors.  They were useless leeches to a renewed Russia and served no purpose beyond depleting his nation’s already meager resources.  At least here they could be of some use.  Progress required sacrifice, and there was no sacrifice too great for the glory of his motherland.  
  
    His eyes soon fixated at the top of the chamber when he saw the yellowish gas began to seep in through the vent.  The experiment was underway…

 

_**Next: Chapter 1 Prologue**  _


	2. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jill Valentine finds herself in the voluntary custody of federal agents. They want to know what happened in the Republic of Georgia - the latest flashpoint in the realm of biological warfare. While questions are sought on both sides, Jill soon begins to wonder if the answers she seeks are worth the price that is being asked of her - re-living her past.

**Chapter 1 Prologue**

 

**Location: ** REDACTED ****  
 **Washington, DC**  
 **October 9th 2015**  
 **20:31 EST**  
 ****  
  
“Miss Valentine…” The man in the dark suit held up his badge.  “Agent John Winston – CIA.”  
  
    Two hours – that’s how long she had been sitting inside this interrogation room waiting for answers as to why she was here.  Earlier that evening, a group of government agents had arrived at her apartment and requested that she come with them.  While the journey hadn’t been “forced”, they had made it clear that she would be going with them one way or another.  “National Security” had been their excuse but if that had truly been the case, why had they kept her waiting all this time?  For now, she kept a blank mask of passivity on her face but deep down she was fuming.  
  
    Leaning back in the chair and crossing her arms, Jill turned her attention to the man as he seated himself across the table from her.  There was something about him that she didn’t like; her intuition giving the distinct impression that she would be getting no real answers from him.  He seemed to prove her right as he set down a leather folder on the table and opened its contents without a word being spoken.  After a long moment had passed with nothing but the silence of the room as company, Jill took the lead.  
  
    “Why am I here?”  
  
    He didn’t acknowledge her right away.  Instead, he pulled out a notepad and wrote something on the page before looking up at her.  “Miss Valentine, you’re here because the agency would like to get your statement concerning the situation in the Republic of Georgia.”  
  
    She closed her eyes and let out a dismissive sigh; her frustration making its way to the surface.  “If you want a report, why don’t you ask the US Marines who are there right now?”  
  
    He smiled.  “What I’m after goes deeper than that,” he replied.  “Your team was the first on the ground and after all that you’ve been through, you are the best person to provide the information we’re after.”  
  
    Jill inhaled a slow and silent breath in an effort to keep her breathing even as she narrowed her eyes at the man.  She didn’t like him.  One look was enough to tell her that he had never seen combat of any kind.  His gold Rolex watch was displayed prominently on his wrist – a sign that he hadn’t experienced the type of horror that she had or saw those he cared about die right before his eyes.  He was a desk jockey – one content to let others do the work while he claimed the credit.  No doubt he had volunteered for this assignment; thinking that it would be an easy task to take a statement from a woman.  
  
    “I was debriefed by the B.S.A.A. on the day I resigned.  If you want to know what it contains, then I suggest you ask them for a copy of it.”  
  
    He set down the pen.  A look of frustration creased over his brow at her subtle deflection of the query.  “Miss Valentine, I understand that this is difficult to talk about.  You and your former organization lost much over the past month and for that you have my condolences.  I understand that Mr. Redfield…”  
  
    Somehow she had already known that this encounter wouldn’t end well.  If she’d actually taken a moment to think about it rationally, then maybe she would have chosen a different way.  But once he had mentioned Chris’ name…  
  
    In a flash, she was out of the chair; her fingers wrapping around the fabric of his suit.  With a seamless motion, she pulled the agent out of his seat and yanked him across the table before reversing direction and slamming him backwards on top of it.  A hand was at his throat; her face inches from his.  
  
    “Don’t you dare speak to me like you understand what I’ve been through, and don’t ever throw Chris’ name in my face!”  
  
    Why was it so easy for her to give in to the anger?  Had she truly changed so much?  
  
   His eyes were alive with terror.  “Miss Valentine… please!” he gasped.  
  
   “What am I doing here, Agent Winston?” she hissed.  “Haven’t I sacrificed enough?  Haven’t I given everything to a cause that has no hope of making a difference?  Haven’t I lost enough friends?”  
  
    Suddenly, she could feel the tears burning her eyes.  The heart-ache was tearing into her – the loss… the pain.  In her early years, she had truly believed in what she had fought for – a world devoid of biological weapons and the damage they inflicted.  Her crusade had started back in Raccoon City and had eventually led her to become one of the founding members of the B.S.A.A.  During all that time she had been a proud soldier fighting to protect others from the evil in the world.  At first that evil had been in the form of Umbrella and its minions but even after their collapse, others had risen to take their places.  Soon new flashpoints opened up by those wanting to create a legacy for themselves.  She had fought so hard to stop all of it; actually believing that someday victory would finally be achieved… but it had all been a lie.  It had been a constant fight for nothing gained as each crisis dealt with would only spawn another elsewhere.  There would never be a decisive victory; only death.  Now the tears were flowing freely as they ran down the pale flesh of her cheeks.  
  
    Lifting the man up by his torso, she then slammed him back down on the table.  
  
    “Why am I here!?” she heard herself scream.   ** _“WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU PEOPLE WANT FROM ME!?”_**  
  
    “We want to know if we can trust you.”  
  
    Jill froze and looked up when she heard those words; words spoken by a man who had just entered the room.  He was standing in the shadows where she couldn’t see his features… but there had been something about his voice that sounded oddly familiar.  
  
    Before she could react, he stepped into the light… and her eyes widened in shock.  
  
    “Hello, Jill,” he said softly.  “It’s been…” He then paused and just stared at her for a moment with a genuine look of awe in his eyes.  An amused smile soon played across his lips.  “Well… it’s been a long time.”  
  
    Letting go of the agent, Jill took a step backwards as he approached.  After the initial shock had worn off, she found her voice.  “… Carlos?”  
  
    Carlos Oliveira stopped in front of the table with his hands clasped together and continued looking back at her; the same smile still on his face.  He hadn’t changed much since the last time she had seen him.  The most noticeable differences were the streaks of grey beginning to creep into the sides of his hair; giving him a more “experienced” look than that of a green mercenary.  
  
    His attention then shifted to the man she had assaulted.  “Agent Winston, give us the room please.”  
  
    The man was more than happy to oblige.  He quickly rolled himself off of the table without another word and made his way for the exit like a whipped dog.  With that, Jill suddenly felt a pang of guilt for what she had done to him.  Damn it, Why had she done that?  This wasn’t who she was!  
  
    After the door had shut, Carlos took the agent’s seat and motioned towards the one next to her.  “Please.”  
  
    Taking a step towards the chair, Jill placed her hands on the back of it but remained standing.  She wasn’t ready to sit – not yet.  She still needed answers.  
  
    “Carlos, what the hell is going on?  What are **_you_** doing here?”  
  
    He set his arms on the table and raised his hands as if trying to put her at ease.  “Jill, I know you have questions, but right now I need to make sure that you’re someone we can trust with the answers.”  
  
    His sentence was more cryptic than she cared for, but she had managed to catch one word that drew her attention.  “‘We’?” she asked.  
  
    Again, he raised his hands.  “The people that I work for are suspicious by nature.  I know I have no right to ask it, but I need you to trust me.  Do you think you can do that?”  
  
    She hadn’t seen this man for the better part of two decades and now he was asking her to go out on a limb and trust him?  It sounded absurd… until she remembered that she **_had_** put her trust in him all those years ago.  That fallen city would have consumed them both if they hadn’t worked together to survive.  He had been a member of Umbrella’s UBCM force back then but despite being strangers, he had looked out for her.  He had even risked his own life to save hers by finding the T-Virus antidote in Raccoon General Hospital after she’d been infected.  That alone gave him credibility with her.  Maybe that was the reason why his employers had sent him after their first interviewer had failed – the two of them shared a connection.  For now however, answers were all that she desired.  Maybe Carlos was the best avenue she had to get to them?  
  
    “I guess we’ll have to see, won’t we?” she replied grudgingly before taking her seat.  
  
    Carlos gave her another shy smile before his eyes quickly reverted back to the documents Agent Winston had left behind.  If she hadn’t known better, Jill could have sworn she saw him blush.  After sorting a few of the pages, he took the pen in his hand.  
  
    “Why don’t we start from the very beginning for the record?” he said finally.  
  
    “Of what happened in Georgia?” she asked.  
  
    He then looked up from the notepad.  “Actually,” he replied gently, “I meant from the beginning of your life.”  
  
    **_That_** had caught her off guard.  From the previous agent’s fast-paced tempo, she had believed that Carlos would try to pick up where he had left off.  Before she had a chance to respond to the change of pace, he was already continuing.  
  
    “Your name is Jill Rachael Valentine.  You were born November 21st 1974 to Pierre Valentine and Akiko Saki-Valentine.  You are the eldest of two daughters with a younger sister named Jacqueline.  Is that correct?”  
  
    His eyes met hers and no doubt saw the confusion on her face at his question.  But Jill decided she would play along… at least for now.  “Yes,” she replied.  
  
    “Let’s see…” Carlos turned another page.  “After graduating high school, you entered the US Army where you trained with Delta force at E.O.D. school.  Once your term of service was up, you moved to Raccoon City and joined the RPD’s S.T.A.R.S. team where you became involved in the mansion incident in the Arklay Mountains.  Is that also correct?”  
  
    Dogs… the sound of dogs were barking after her.   _“Jill, run for that house!”_  Gasping for breath… running hard toward the horror that waited there. _“Behold the ultimate bio-weapon… Tyrant!”_  
  
    Closing her eyes, she nodded her head.  “Yes.”  
  
    “Surviving that mission, you then escaped from Raccoon City after a biological disaster took place two months later…”  
  
    This was pointless.  He was rehashing her history but for what purpose she couldn’t say.  Instead, she decided to throw a curve ball and see what kind of reaction she would get.  
  
    “Do your betters know that the two of us worked together to escape that city, Carlos?”  
  
    He stopped writing and looked up at her.  A slight grin once again creased his lips.  “My employers know everything about me, Jill,” he replied.  “Right now, they want to know about you.”  
  
    Her brow furrowed.  “Why?”  
  
    Again, Carlos held up his hands and said nothing, but the look he gave her was a silent plea.  He wanted her to continue but was also making it clear that she would be getting no answers from him – at least not until his employers were satisfied with what she could give them first.  His eyes told her everything – he didn’t have permission to say any more than he already had.  
  
    _“We want to know if we can trust you.”_  
  
    Trust her with what?  It felt as if she was in some kind of conspiracy novel where every turn led to another question.  Even when you did receive an answer, it was so cryptic that it eventually gave way to even more questions.  It was maddening.  But what more could she do?  Trying to beat it out of the last agent had done her no good.  He hadn’t told her anything and while his eyes showed fear, Jill had the presence of mind to know that it wasn’t just of her.  So she was left with very few options – either play along or walk away empty-handed.  However, given the confines of this room, she had doubts about walking away of her own volition if she chose that route.  For now there was only one real choice.  
  
    “Fine,” she replied.  “Yes, I escaped from Raccoon City.”  
  
    He smiled again.  “And after that you became one of the founding members of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance – an organization which conducted several successful missions across the globe to stop rogue Umbrella cells.  Later, on a mission at the Spencer Estate, you came into contact with rogue operative, Albert Wesker…”  
  
    She hadn’t heard the rest of the sentence.  As soon as Carlos had mentioned **_his_** name, her entire mind went blank.  The skin of her arms began to goose-prickle while a shiver ran down her spine.   _Wesker_ – the name was a horrid reminder of her past… a past that she had tried for so many years to forget.  
  
    Moonlight had been pouring into the room that night; bathing the body of the late Oswell Spencer in its ominous pale glow.  It had almost been a harbinger of the events to follow.  He had grabbed Chris by the neck and was about to kill him.  Without a second thought she had charged forward; her only concern had been getting to him before it was too late.  Slamming into Wesker, she had kept going until the sounds of glass echoed behind her along with her partner’s scream.  In that moment, she had known that she would die… but she had planned on taking **_him_** with her.  The water from the river had rushed up to meet them and then there was only the blackness.  
  
    _If only that had been the end of it,_ she thought to herself.   _If only I had died there and taken that monster down for good, then Chris wouldn’t have had to…_  
  
    Have to what – see her remade in Wesker’s own image?  To bear the shame of becoming the enemy to her closest friend?  
  
    _“I think that’s fair… two on two?”_ **_His_** voice again.  No matter what she did, it was still in her head even after all this time.  Wesker had become a part of her being that she would never be able to fully purge herself of.  
  
    _No, I’m stronger than him.  I won’t let him take what I have left._  
  
    She could still remember thinking those words even as she watched helplessly.  In the end, she hadn’t been able to control herself as she attacked and nearly killed Chris and his new partner.  All she could hear was her own scream as she tried desperately to stop herself.  Chris… he should have killed her in that temple, but despite everything she had done, he and Sheva had managed to save her.  
  
    He had always been there for her – her partner and friend… her best friend.  Chris had been a man who’d been willing to do anything to keep her safe.  And never once had he blamed her for anything.  
  
    _Chris… I was never worthy of what you gave me… and all I can do now is beg for your forgiveness…_  
  
    “Jill?”  
  
    A wet droplet rolled past her nose as she opened her eyes.  That was when she realized that she was crying again.  Looking up at Carlos, she saw the worried expression on his face.  
  
    “Are you okay?” he asked.  “Do you need a break?”  
  
    A break wouldn’t bring her any closer to answers regardless of how much she was hurting.  
  
    “Thank you, Carlos, but I’m fine,” she replied.  “Please continue.”  
  
    He stared back at her for a long moment as if to make sure she was truly okay.  She nodded to him, and eventually he yielded.  
  
    “Okay then,” he said.  “Georgia… Why don’t you start from the beginning?”  
  
    _The beginning…_ Where **_did_** the “beginning” actually start?  Was it a month ago when this new nightmare began… or had it begun at the Spencer Estate when she’d been taken over by evil and become the enemy to everything she’d ever known and loved?  Maybe it had been neither – maybe it had started back in July of 1998 on the day she entered that mansion?  She didn’t know anymore.  Beginnings and ends – she’d always believed that there couldn’t be one without the other.  But that was a lie – she was living proof of that.  Her life had been a constant “beginning” for so many painful experiences to where there had never been an actual “end”.  There had been no end to the fight… no end to the pain… no end to the loss…  
  
    But perhaps she could start at the beginning one last time…   
  
    … and try and find her way to the end.  
  
  
                                                               

**_Next: Chapter 1-1: One Day_ **


	3. Chapter 1-1: One Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield awaken together six years after the events of Resident Evil 5. Despite the fact that they are planning a future together, Jill still finds herself haunted by her past and begins to question what her true motivations are when it comes to her relationship with her partner.
> 
> However a new threat is also brewing on the horizon - one that Chris will have a personal stake in.

**Chapter 1-1: One Day**

 

**Jill’s Apartment**  
 **Washington, DC**  
 **September 6th 2015**  
 **08:15 EST**  
 ****  
  
**_One Month Prior…_**  
  
  
   Drowning – that was what it felt like.  The feeling of being helplessly pulled beneath the waves and knowing there was no hope of reaching the surface.  However, instead of a horrible darkness waiting to find her, there was only light – its aura both bright and blinding.  Even with her eyes shut, Jill found that she was unable to escape its all-consuming presence.  
  
    Her wrists and ankles were bound securely to the table she was laying on.  She was trapped and at the mercy of those that held her.  Despite the confusion and fear, Jill knew that she had to try and determine where she was.  Slowly, she rolled her head and tried to open her eyes, but to no avail.  The light was too bright and she couldn’t see anything except for the hazy outline of moving figures in the distance.  Was someone out there?  Where was she?  What was happening?  Her mind was slowly clearing through the disorientation; trying desperately to make sense of her situation.  
  
    “Begin the operation.”  
  
    She froze as soon as she heard **_his_** voice.  Jill knew exactly who it belonged to but that couldn’t be possible – he was dead… and so was she!  There was no time to think when a horrible pain began spreading throughout her chest like hot fire.  Immediately, she bit her lip; the taste of blood flooding her mouth.  She was a strong woman but despite that strength, she couldn’t stifle the scream that followed.  
  
    The room quickly grew dark, and she found herself standing alone in the center of it.  To her left, the moonlight was pouring in through the nearby windows.  Everything felt strange but also familiar in a way – like she had been here before.  Something was wrong though.  That was when the sound of a woman’s sobs drew her attention.  Kneeling in front of her was a dark-haired woman wearing torn clothing.  Her hands were bound behind her back; her hair wet and matted from the blood and tears running down her cheeks.  Jill’s eyes widened, but before she could react she heard even more crying in the room.  Looking around, she saw that she was surrounded by the same woman.  There were nearly a dozen – all of them on their knees in a circle around her.  
  
    “Jill…” **_his_** slippery voice whispered against her ear.  Immediately, her body stiffened before a shiver of fear rippled through her.  A hand soon cradled her chin as she was pulled back against his shoulder.  His other hand had grabbed her arm and held it tightly behind her back so she couldn’t move.  “Now is the time for you to prove yourself to me.  Do it.”  
  
    He released his grip and just as quickly a horrible feeling of dread washed over her.  She knew what was to happen next.  There had to be a way to stop this… but the pain… it hurt too much!  Closing her eyes, Jill felt her teeth grit together while she silently prayed for this nightmare to end.  That was when the crying stopped.  
  
    Opening her eyes, Jill looked down in horror as she gazed upon the woman in front of her.  Her body was lying in a pool of blood – a single bullet hole displayed prominently in her forehead.  With a startled gasp, she took a step back… until her foot struck something behind her.  That was when she noticed that the others were also dead.  All of them lay in different poses as they surrounded her in a macabre ring of death.  
  
    Before she could react, she felt something in her hand.  Jill looked down…   
  
    … and saw the gun.  
  
    _Wake up…_  
  
    Her eyes opened and were immediately greeted by the light.  Anxiety quickly caused her body to tense; her heartbeat increasing with each second.  Was she back in that room?  Where was she?  
  
    Slowly, she overcame the initial shock when she recognized where she was – her bedroom.  She was safe in her apartment.   ** _He_** wasn’t coming for her here.  
  
    _Easy, Jill, it was only a dream..._  
  
    Closing her eyes, Jill took a deep breath in an effort to calm her pounding heart.  That was when she began to wonder – **_had_** it been just a dream?  Staring into the distance, the question made her pause.  She wasn’t sure what to think.  That dream had been too vivid and felt all too real… and it hadn’t been the only one.  Over the past six years she’d had others as well – brief moments of clarity right before the veil of amnesia closed in on her.  All of her dreams had been disjointed to where she hadn’t been able to make any sense of them, but each one had a common link – Wesker.  
  
    The BSAA psychologist had believed that they were likely tied to repressed memories during the time she’d been under Wesker’s influence.  Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to remember much of anything, and the ensuing therapy sessions hadn’t resulted in helping her in that regard.  It was as if three years of her life had been erased from the history books – like being transported from the Spencer Estate and ending up in Chris’ protective arms back in Africa.  That had been the only time she’d ever been fully aware of her circumstances – the moment when Chris had called out to her right before she’d dislocated his shoulder.  
  
    _Jill!  Jill Valentine!_  
  
    Her eyes widened; her skin goose-prickling over every inch of her body as she began reliving that horrible memory.  That day had been **_the_** moment in her life where she’d been cut to her very core.  She would never be able to forget the look of horror in Chris’ eyes.  But before she could plunge further into the familiar pit of despair, she was brought back when his arm gently tightened around her.  His nose and lips soon began nuzzling against the nape of her neck.  
  
    “Good morning, Mrs. Redfield,” he whispered sleepily.  
  
    Chris’ playful banter was the calm that she had needed.  Letting out another deep sigh, her lips soon cracked into a grin before sneaking a look at the wedding dress hanging on the nearby holder.  
  
    “You’re four weeks early, Mr. Redfield.”  
  
    “Hey, it never hurts to get in some practice, right?”  His gave her shoulder a gentle kiss.  “So what’s on your agenda for this beautiful Sunday?”  
  
    “Jackie’s going to take me to get the final measurements for my dress.  I trust you and your crew took care of the tuxes like I asked?”  
  
    “No worries, Jilly Bean,” he replied.  “You know, Quint told me that he’s really looking forward to meeting your sister.”  
  
    Jill rolled her eyes.  With Parker being unable to attend their upcoming nuptials, Chris had asked Quinton Cetcham to be his best man.  While she liked Quint as a co-worker, she wasn’t sure how she felt about him being paired up with her little sister for the ceremony.  
  
    “Well, you tell him to behave himself, or he’ll have to answer to me,” she said with a forced smile.  
  
    Chris leaned in and gave her another kiss before pulling back the covers.  “How about I go and get breakfast started?  Looks like we both have a busy day ahead of us.”  
  
    Before he could leave, she reached out and grabbed his arm.  She wasn’t ready for him to go just yet.  The dream was still too fresh.  
  
    “Chris…” she said softly.  “Could you stay with me for a few more minutes?”  
  
    He stopped.  “Of course,” he replied before settling in behind her again.  
  
    Closing her eyes, Jill let out a quiet sigh before turning her attention towards the bedroom window.  The sun’s golden rays were already filtering in from the pane.  Hopefully it stood as a good omen for today’s events.  She wanted something happy to think about rather than the nagging darkness that seemed to stalk her even after all this time.  Seeing Jackie would help with that.  Afterwards… well… she’d just have to take it one day at a time.  
  
    “Jill?”  Chris’ voice pulled her from her thoughts.  “What’s wrong?”  
  
    She didn’t turn.  “What do you mean?” she asked as she kept her voice as even as possible.  
  
    There was a long moment without a response.  Even though she was looking away from him, she could sense that he was studying her.  
  
    “It’s just…” he paused once more as if searching for the right words to broach this conversation.  “Well, it seems like you’ve been on edge of late.  You were also moaning in your sleep this morning.  Are you alright?”  
  
    _No, I’m not._  
  
    “I’m fine, Chris,” she replied as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.  “It was just a bad dream.  Everyone gets them some times… even you.”  
  
    Silence.  “Are you worried about the wedding?”  
  
    Jill felt her body tense at the subject but was given a reprieve from having to answer when Chris’ cell phone began to ring.  Groaning in protest, he reached behind him.  
  
    “It’s Claire,” he whispered.  
  
    “Go ahead,” she encouraged.  The lull would give her a chance to get her thoughts in order before the day began.  A shower would be the perfect place to start with that.  
  
    Throwing the covers off of her, Jill made her way to the bathroom and turned on the water.  After disrobing her nightwear, she removed the engagement ring and set it in the cabinet above the sink.  When she closed the mirror, she caught sight of her reflection and paused.    
  
    _How did I get here?_  
  
    So much had happened since her return, but for her there were times where it felt as if the events at the Spencer Estate had happened only yesterday.  Things before that day had been simpler for her.  At least it **_had_** been before Wesker…  Immediately shutting her eyes, Jill took a deep breath and braced herself against the sink.  The tension was once again making her muscles ache.  
  
     That was when she forced herself to look back at her reflection.  Sometimes she didn’t even recognize the woman staring back at her.  Before Africa, she’d been a confident soldier fighting for a cause that she believed in with her heart and soul.  Now it felt as if it was all she could do just to hold the pieces of her broken life together.  Was that the only measure in which she could use to provide meaning for her existence?  Was it enough to simply function day to day, but not allow herself to actually live?  
  
    Her fingertips soon began to run down her neck until they traced across the circular series of scars that still marked her chest.  Involuntarily, her thoughts once again turned to Wesker.  These marks were the signs of **_his_** viciousness.  There were others as well; the physical manipulation of her DNA was plain enough to see.  Her hair had retained the pale blonde shade that had manifested when she’d been harnessed to that control device.  Even the color of her eyes had lost most of their natural blue and became more of a hazel now.  And her skin had become paler than ever.  The side effects had also seen her retain much of the increased speed and strength that she had experienced under the device, but she would give all of it back in a heartbeat if only things would return to normal.  
  
    _Chris…_  
  
     Her thoughts quickly turned to him.  He was the one man who had always made her feel safe.  While under Wesker’s control, there had been fleeting moments of awareness – like waking from a dream for a brief moment before falling back asleep.  And it was during those moments where all she could think about was finding him; that he would make everything right.  
  
     When she had finally come home, things had initially been tense between the two of them.  He had treated her like a China doll – afraid that she might break if pushed too hard.  But after they had worked through her readjustment together as a team, they had once again found their deep-rooted friendship.  Nearly a year later had seen them grow even closer… and eventually it had led to them becoming more.  Of course it hadn’t been easy given their jobs, but no matter what obstacle they had to overcome, the two of them would always find their way back to each other.  
  
    After stepping into the shower and letting the hot water run over her body, Jill began to think more about what Chris had asked her earlier – did their upcoming wedding have her on edge?  With a pang of regret, she had to admit that it did.  Chris was a good man.  She had known that about him back in Raccoon City long before their lives had changed.  He was strong, tough, and full of a passion that she could not help but admire.  However, when it came to their current relationship, she began to ponder a question that had been slowly gnawing at her after his proposal – **_why_** had she agreed to marry him?  
  
    Their dating relationship had been happy for the most part; giving her not only companionship on an intimate level but also a sense of security in her life that she had found lacking.  However, it had been last year right after Chris had returned from Miami when things had changed.  That was when he had visited her in the dead of night and poured out his heart.  Over the years he’d had to contend with his own losses, but it was Leon’s funeral that had been the catalyst to push him towards wanting to pursue a real life for himself… with her as a part of it.  So with the moonlight pouring in through the window, he had gotten down on bended knee and asked for her hand… and she had said yes.  At the time it felt like the right decision considering how much they meant to one another.  But as the days continued pushing them towards their impending wedding, she began to wonder what the **_real_** motivation was behind her decision.  Was it because she truly loved him… or because she wanted to hang on to that feeling of safety that only he could provide?  
  
    Chris had been a haven for her even before Africa… a sanctuary – a place of safety from the horrors of the world.  He had always been there for her, and Jill knew that she **_did_** love him in her own way.  After all, the man occupied a very special place in her heart that no one would be able to replace.  But could her desire for safety be the driving factor?  Would it be enough to sustain a marriage?  She didn’t know the answer to that question, but perhaps if she talked about her concerns with Chris maybe he could help her figure it out?  All she had to do was put her trust him… just like she always had.  That was when she came to a decision.  
  
    After dressing, she made her way to the kitchen to find him but something caught her attention, and she stopped in the entryway – the television was on.  Chris was never one to watch the news – he hated the politics, but there he was sitting at the table with his eyes fixated on the news report.  
  
    _“Tensions between the Republic of Georgia and national separatists from the Abkazia and South Ossetia regions have been long standing for decades, but all of that changed with today’s bombing in the capital of Tbilisi that left dozens dead, and countless others gravely ill.  While no official statement has been made by the Georgian government, sources within the nation’s cabinet have hinted that the attack may have been biological in nature.  Police units and members of the Georgian military have begun quarantining a ten block radius around the explosion site with no official word being given as to the reason.”_  
  
    The images of chaos on the streets of Tbilisi made her stomach constrict.  All of those poor people were running in fear; trying desperately to flee the carnage in their wake.  There were many who were injured – all crying and shouting out their curses against the northern separatists.  One woman who passed by the camera had blood running from both her mouth and eyes.  The camera then quickly returned to the young studio reporter.  
  
    _“We’ve just received word that the President of Georgia is giving a statement live.”_  
  
    The screen then switched to a podium on a stage.  Standing behind it was a stocky; balding man dressed in a black suit.  
  
    _“My people in the Republic of Georgia.  Today marks a terrible chapter in the history of our nation.  At 12:15 PM Georgian Daylight Time, a terrorist bombing took pace in the streets of Tbilisi.  We have confirmed that this was indeed a biological attack and have taken steps to quarantine the area to prevent further exposure to the populous.  I am encouraging all citizens to stay indoors until further notice.  
  
    I have also formally requested aid from the international community to include the World Health Organization and TerraSave…" _  
  
    She tuned out the rest of the man’s speech when she heard the organization’s name.  Immediately, she turned to Chris.  
  
    “TerraSave?  Chris… does this mean that Claire…?”  She let the sentence trail off.  
  
    His face was grave when he turned to look at her.  Closing his eyes, he nodded in affirmation.  “That’s why she called.  Claire wanted me to hear it from her first.  She and her team are already en route to the capital.”  
  
    He was worried about his sister, and her heart went out to him.  “Chris…”  
  
    Before she could provide any words of comfort, both of their phones began beeping loudly.  Grabbing hers from the counter, she saw the message.  
  
    _Biohazard Level 1 – Republic of Georgia – Report to HQ in 1 hr – Parker_  
  
    Looking up, she saw Chris’ eyes narrow before his attention turned to her.  “I guess we’ll have to put today’s plans on hold.”  
  
  
                                                               

**_Next: Chapter 1-2: Front_ **


	4. Chapter 1-2: Front

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deployed to the Black Sea with the B.S.A.A. fleet, Jill Valentine along with Chris Redfield and his team are sent to investigate suspicious rebel troop movements along the Georgian/Abkhazian border in wake of the biological attack on the Capital of Tbilisi.

**Chapter 1-2: Front**

 

**BSAA SS Alexander Graham**  
 **The Black Sea**  
 **52 Miles off the Coast of Georgia**  
 **September 9th 2015**  
 **09:03 GDT**  
 ****  
  
The steady beating of the Blackhawk’s rotors served as a reminder that she was once again back in the thick of things as the transport helicopter slowly ascended from the carrier deck.  Once airborne, the pilot banked left before straightening out towards their destination deep within the Georgian hinterlands.  
  
    The BSAA’s original mission had been to assist the efforts of TerraSave within the capital city, but their orders had changed based off of new reports of rebel troop movements along the Abkhazia border.  This had been the first sign of activity since the terrorist attack three days ago, and it warranted further interest.  With the Georgians still reeling from the deadly bombing and their military thirsty for vengeance, it had been decided that the BSAA would take the leading role in investigating the area.  
  
    Looking over her shoulder, Jill took a moment to glance back at the _Alexander Graham_ as it grew smaller in the distance behind them.  The aircraft carrier was the crowning addition to the small, yet formidable BSAA fleet and had been set up to serve as their operations command and control center.  Built by the engineers at Graham Corp International, the company had succeeded in developing the world’s very first stealth carrier.  Of course “stealth” was a relative term as the ship itself would never be able to magically disappear from the naked eye.  It did however, carry new jamming technology that rendered radar, sonar, and even satellite detection virtually useless within a five mile radius of the ship.  While the technical aspects had been a bit beyond her, Jill was grateful for an edge now that they were officially in hostile territory.  
  
    The BSAA presence in the area had caused a huge stir with the Russian Federation.  Their ambassador was already grumbling loudly to the United Nations about possible “territorial integrity” concerns with the rebel provinces while the US ambassador pledged America’s support behind the Georgians.  With all of the political arm-twisting involved, they had almost been denied access to the Black Sea entirely until China had offered its tepid support for the BSAA’s mission.  While they would be able to operate freely, the region’s already tense atmosphere had seemed to increase ten-fold.  It was enough to give her a very bad feeling.  
  
    All of this had started back in the States when the entire team had been called in for an emergency meeting at headquarters.  That was when Parker had laid out everything the BSAA knew about the attack and what the organization’s response would be now that the Georgians had officially requested their aid.  The broadcasts on the nightly news hadn’t even shown half of the deadly carnage from the bombing.  Only a dozen people had actually died from the initial explosion.  The vast majority of the victims had immediately been exposed to a biological agent.  Video footage from nearby security cameras had captured images of multiple people hemorrhaging from their eyes, nose, and mouth – with many on their hands and knees vomiting up blood.  It had quickly followed with seizures and then death… all in under two mintues’ time.  Two hundred and fifteen people had been the initial casualties with an additional three hundred more showing signs of a slower form of infection.  Efforts to contain and isolate these people had been bolstered by the Georgian military’s curfew along with the efforts of TerraSave, but it was absorbing a great deal of manpower.  
  
    The worst part was that no one knew exactly what they were up against.  Tests had been conducted on both the deceased and the infected, but while the weapon contained small traces of the T-Virus there were other compounds as well.  All of which made the creation of a vaccine next to impossible until the remaining agents were isolated and identified.  Whatever they were dealing with, the Abkhazians had somehow gotten their hands on a new biological weapon… and now they were using it.  It hadn’t escaped anyone’s suspicion during the briefing, and it had been Quint Cetcham who had inquired about the possibility of Russian involvement in the attack.  
  
    After their military campaign against Georgia in 2008, the Russians had set up headquarters within both Abkhazia and South Ossetia to act as territorial “advisors”.  In response, both provinces had subsequently petitioned Moscow to recognize their independence.  As of now the Republic of Georgia existed in name only with the country essentially divided between the three provinces… along with rising tensions.  
  
    Jill felt her teeth grit together as the dread began stirring within her veins.  Some might call it a sixth sense, but she felt as if the biological attack in Tbilisi was just the herald of a larger storm that was about to fall… and that they would all get caught up in the middle of it.    
  
    Her concentration was broken when she looked down and saw that her fingers were tapping repeatedly against the top of her leg.  Immediately, she made a fist and placed her free hand over top of it.  Her nerves were beginning to show; something she needed to hide quickly before the others took note.  As she looked up however, her eyes widened when she saw Chris staring back at her.  His gaze was focused down at her hands before his eyes met hers.  The look on his face was full of concern.   _Are you okay?_ his expression seemed to ask.  In response, Jill took a deep breath and nodded before giving him a reassuring smile.   The last thing she wanted was for him to become distracted on her account.  
  
    Initially, her role was to be an operations advisor back on the carrier, but it had been Chris who had asked her to accompany his team on the mission.  As an advisor, she wouldn’t technically be part of his squad and could still fill her role providing combat advice.  As such, Parker had approved the move.  While she hadn’t done BSAA field work since the Spencer Estate and was well within her right to refuse, she had instead decided to accept.  She hadn’t skimped on her training throughout the years and at least out here she could keep an eye on him.  But then she began to wonder if the reverse had been the truth regarding her fiancé’s motives.  Maybe Chris had wanted her with him so that **_he_** could keep an eye on **_her_**?  
  
    She could tell that he hadn’t been fully mollified with her prior excuses.  At first, it wasn’t something that she had wanted to discuss with him, but in the days that followed she began regretting that decision.  As they moved ever closer to the mission’s starting point, their work had prevented them from having any time to talk about fixing the tension that existed.  Now, Jill found herself wanting that intimate contact more than anything else.  Whether it was for her own reassurance or for his, she had missed their shared intimacy and the calm that it evoked.  If only she had been brave enough to tell him how much of a struggle everything was for her even after all this time.  
  
    In a way, it was an ironic twist.  Ever since Chris’ return from Lanshiang, she realized that she’d been taking simple things for granted – whether it had been his comforting touch when he put his arm around her or the sound of his laughter that never ceased to make her smile.  At first, she hadn’t even noticed that she was doing it.  After all, there hadn’t been a world crisis in over two years which had left them with normal workdays for the first time since Africa.  And after seeing one another at work, they had spent each night together building their relationship.  It was a routine that had lulled her into false sense of security.  Now a familiar longing began eating away at her heart as she sat there watching her best friend giving orders to his team.  Even though he was only a few feet across from her, Jill had never felt more alone.  God, she missed him so much.  
  
    She then shook her head.  Thinking about personal problems out here was a dangerous proposition.  Left unchecked, it would cause distractions and that was something she could ill afford if she planned on watching his back.  At least that was a job she wouldn’t have to do alone.  Chris’ team was comprised of the best operatives from both the North American and European branches of the BSAA – an elite fighting unit known as “Viper Squad”.  On the flight from Italy, she’d had time to read up on their profiles before rendezvousing with the carrier group.  
  
    The first was Chris’ second-in-command, Crispin Jettingham – code name “Dee-Ay”.  Previously a former Army Ranger, Jettingham had gained combat experience during his time with the US Military seeing action in both Afghanistan and Iraq before his recruitment into the BSAA.  He’d also had first-hand experience with biological warfare when he and his team had been deployed to Lanshiang two years ago.  He was a seasoned warrior, and Jill had a feeling that he and Chris would get along well.  
  
    Carolyn Floyd, code-named “Willow”, was the team’s recon specialist.  Born a Native American from the Cree tribe, she had followed her former squad leader Dee-Ay to the BSAA after her departure from the Rangers.  According to her file, she was an expert in both adapting and assimilating herself to her surroundings; making her one of the very best the BSAA had to offer in terms of both scouting and stealth.  The woman came off as a bit of a perfectionist however, which gave her a somewhat prickly demeanor.  While Willow may not be the best at making friends, she would be an ideal asset to the team.  
  
    A man who had come as a complete surprise was Erez Morrris – the foul-mouthed and somewhat eccentric team medic.  Being a former biker in a criminal gang, Morris had adopted the call sign, “Harley” as a reminder of who he was and where he had come from.  While he’d been a former infantry medic during the storming of Baghdad, he’d been discharged early due to several incidents of disorderly behavior.  That had led to his life as a drifter before joining the outlaw biker gang “The Saints” in California.  After a huge bust by the FBI, he had made a secret deal to trade his medical expertise for his freedom.  That had led him to the BSAA.  To Jill’s surprise, the man had actually turned his life around once he’d enlisted.  His former squad leader had even written a note that Harley’s skills under fire during the Edonian operations were exemplary and had recommended him for this assignment.  
  
    Jill then felt herself smiled when she looked over at Lawrence Kimbala, code named “Shona”.  She’d met him many years ago when he had joined both her and Chris in the creation of the BSAA.  The man had been a brilliant military scientist whose research had landed him an important role on the organization’s science team.  Originally part of the African division, he’d transferred to the _Alexander Graham_ in order to provide his scientific expertise.  He was an expert in all forms of biological agents and had worked with their organization’s top scientists to develop cures for both the T and C-Viruses.  His experience was vital to the team as they worked to unlock the mysteries of the recent attack in Georgia.  
  
    The smile quickly faded however, when she glanced at his seating partner, Sienna Fowler – code name “Party Girl”.  When the two of them had first been introduced back on the ship, the woman had bluntly asked her if she was the same Jill Valentine who had worked with Albert Wesker back in Africa.  Fowler’s comments had caught her off guard, and before she could reply the woman had then followed up with asking how it was that she’d even been allowed back into the BSAA after everything she’d done.  Initially, she’d been shocked by the woman’s verbal assault but rather than engage in a confrontation in front of everyone, Jill had decided on simply walking away.  Perhaps it had been a cowardly thing to do at the time, but the last thing she wanted was to be a source of tension between Chris and his squad.  Of course neither Chris nor Parker had appreciated the woman’s comments, and Jill had heard both of them chastising Fowler as she left the room.  
  
    As she continued staring, Jill had to admit that despite the woman’s relatively young age and sharp tongue, at least she was good at what she did.  According to her profile, “Party Girl” was a master at both surveillance and a sniper rifle.  The light reading in her file had mentioned that she’d gotten both her job and her nick-name by luring away a BSAA executive from a private party and “encouraging” him to divulge classified secrets in a very compromising position.  Jill could have done without the mention of the bondage video, but it was certainly enough information to make even a vice cop blush.  However, that incident had eventually led to her recruitment and the discovery that she was also a pretty good shot as well.  
  
    As if by fate, the blonde suddenly turned and caught her stare.  The woman’s lips turned into a condescending smile before giving her a wink and returning back to her conversation with Shona.  Yes, that bitch was **_definitely_** someone that Jill didn’t care for.  As long as the two of them stayed out of each other’s way, they’d be fine.  
  
    “Don’t let her get to you, luv,” the woman sitting beside her replied.  Jill turned her attention to Marissa Ronson – code name, “Tweed”.  “She’s a bit of a hard-ass, that one.”  
  
    Jill felt the grin on her lips.  “No kidding?  I hadn’t noticed.”  
  
    Tweed laughed.  “Don’t you worry none, ma’am,” she replied.  “Everyone knows who you are and what you’ve done for this organization.  You’re a hero and only a bleedin’ fool would say otherwise.”  
  
    Despite Shona being a fellow founder of the BSAA, Jill had to admit that she liked the spunky red-headed Brit the most of all.  Perhaps it was because the two of them had a shared experience in demolitions for the military.  After initial introductions, they had become fast friends and had swapped several stories of their unique adventures.  
  
    Tweed had been a former member of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service before a career-ending injury had seen her discharged with honors.  After applying to the BSAA, she became one of the best sappers their organization had.  It was heartening to see the vast experience pool that comprised of Chris’ team.  They were truly the best of the best.  
  
    That left only her – Jill Valentine.  While not officially a member of Viper Squad, she would be acting in her original role as an advisor to Chris.  Her code name “Cupid” was enough to make her roll her eyes.  No doubt that had been Quint’s doing.  
  
    _Communication guys and their jokes…_  
  
    Before she could dwell on it, the lights within the helicopter suddenly flashed red and were followed up by an alarm.  The pilot immediately addressed them over the radio.  
  
    “Heads up back there!  We’ve flying into a hot zone!  Biological agents have been detected!”  
  
    “Masks on!”  Chris yelled to all of them.  “Masks on now!”  
  
    Immediately, her heart was racing.  Biological agents?  Were the rebels launching another attack?  Those questions could wait however.  Grabbing her mask, Jill began securing it to her face while her companions did the same.  
  
    Chris was already addressing the pilot.  “Johnson, what do you have?”  
  
    “Systems are detecting trace amounts of biological agents in the atmosphere, Captain,” he replied.  
  
    “Command, this is Viper One.  We have a confirmed biological presence in the region.  Please advise.”  
  
     “We copy, Viper One,” Parker replied.  “We will inform the Georgians but first we need you to recon that area and find the location of ground zero.  According to Jackass, there is a mining village roughly three clicks northeast of your position.  That would be best place to start in your search.”  
  
     If the village had indeed been the target, then there was another concern that needed addressed.  “Command, this is Cupid.  How many people are located in the village?”  
  
     “A little over five hundred,” Quint replied.  “You guys will need to be alert for anything.”  
  
    “Viper One, you have your orders,” Parker cut in.  “Recon that village and find out where this attack took place.”  
  
    Jill felt her body tense as she heard the orders.  They were being tasked with intelligence gathering in a hot zone crawling with rebel troops.  How many dead or dying would they find in this village?  Where was the enemy?  It was enough to send a shiver through her body.  
  
    When would the world finally be safe from madmen willing to use these horrible weapons against innocent people?  Jill began to wonder if it was too much to hope for – living in a world of peace.  Could something like that ever happen in such a depraved and sickened world?  After Africa, she had allowed herself to believe the false promise that Wesker’s death would herald a turning point in the fight.  But that was a dream that wasn’t to be as others picked up right where he had left off.  How much more sacrifice would be required before they finally made a damned difference in this war?  What was it that **_she_** was truly fighting for anyway?  Was any of it truly worth the cost?  
  
    “Touch down in five seconds.”  
  
    The chopper descended toward an opening roughly half a mile from their objective.  Looking through the window, Jill could see that the area was laden with fog – another bad omen.  After landing Chris was busy getting his team on task.  
  
    “Willow, you’re on point,” he ordered.  “Everyone else, form up.  We don’t know who or what we’ll find out here so keep your eyes open.  Once we reach the outskirts of the village, we’ll assess the situation.”  
  
    In a way, it was almost a reminder of old times.  Their very first mission together had seen them ushered in by helicopter to a foggy scene outside an old mansion. After their escape, she and Chris had been teamed up on multiple insertion missions just like this one.  It was standard operating procedure for the BSAA.  Sending in highly-trained operatives to work in pairs not only allowed them to move quickly, but also gave them the opportunity to utilize their experience with stealth; making them more deadly than an entire squad of military soldiers.  It was a measure of comfort that each of Chris’ team had been trained in the same fashion.  With an entire squad backing him up, he would still have the option of breaking them off into pairs should the situation warrant it.  It was a new strategy that Chris and Parker had instituted a month prior to this mission.  Now they would see how well it worked in practice.  
  
    Up ahead of them were the gates to the village.  As they approached the opening, Chris signaled a halt to their advance.  Through the fog, Jill could see Willow materializing from its embrace as she made her way back to the squad.  
  
    “Anything?” Chris asked after she’d taken a knee next to him.  
  
    “The town looks completely abandoned, Boss,” Willow replied.  “There’s no movement, no noise… nothing.  It’s dead quiet.”  
  
    “Did you see any bodies?”  Jill asked.  If this place was indeed the location of the latest attack, they needed to know what kind of hazardous conditions they would find within.  
  
    Willow turned to her and after a moment’s pause replied, “There’s no one out there, ma’am.”  
  
    “How the hell can that be?” Harley asked.  “We all saw the footage from the capital!  There were dozens of bodies there.”  
  
    “Enough!” Chris replied in order to halt any additional speculation.  “Shona, what can you tell me?”  
  
    Their science officer was already taking readings.  After typing on his touch pad, he gave Chris his answer.  
  
    “There are no biological contaminants in the immediate vicinity, Captain.” he replied.  “What ever happened here, it has passed.”  
  
    With their location free from any airborne hazards, they were free to remove their masks.  To Jill, it was a relief.  Despite the number of exercises she’d been a part of, operating in any type of biological gear was uncomfortable and hampered her movements.  Even attempting to aim down the sight of her weapon had been a challenge.  What ever lay ahead, at least she’d be able to operate without restrictions.  
  
    No sooner had they shed their masks when Chris was giving orders for their current mission.  Pointing towards a ridge that offered a vantage point looking down on the town, he turned toward Fowler.  “Party Girl, I want you up on that ridge to provide over watch.  If you see any movement, be sure to report it in.  Dee Ay, you back her up.”  
  
    “Got it, Boss,” Party Girl replied before looking over at her new partner.  “C’mon sugar, looks like you’re with me.”  
  
    Chris then turned to the rest of them.  “Up ahead, the village splits off into a “Y”.  I’ll take Willow and Shona and go left.”  Then the unexpected happened when he looked over to her.  “Jill, I want you to take Tweed and Harley and move right.”  
  
    Shock was the first emotion to greet her.  Even though she was a fellow captain, she **_was_** only along as an advisor.  She certainly hadn’t been prepared for him to have her take charge of any portion of his squad.  Dee Ay was his second in command but after sending him to be paired up with Party Girl, that **_did_** leave her as the next in rank.  
  
    Right then the urge to refuse was there.  It had been years since she’d led troops and wasn’t sure if she could any more.  After Africa, all of the confidence she had in herself and her abilities had been lost… giving way to doubt and fear.  In the ensuing years, it had felt safer for her to remain serving in the background as an advisor while others like Chris bravely commanded from the front lines.  But now was the moment of truth.  Everyone’s eyes were on her including Chris’ – she couldn’t buckle now that he was putting his faith in her.  She **_had_** to do this… for him.  
  
    With a silent breath to steady her nerves, Jill nodded before looking over at her new squad mates.  Tweed nodded with a grin while Harley held a look of uncertainty.  She could understand his hesitation.  After all, she was an anomaly to the makeup of this team.  Now Chris was tasking her with leading a portion of it.  But trust was not something that she could automatically expect given her past.  It was something that she would need to earn – not just from the team but also the ability for her to trust in herself again.  
  
    “All right,” she said with an unfamiliar tone of confidence in her voice.  “You two… on me.”  
  
    With Viper Squad on the move, Jill and her team broke off to the right once they reached the intersection.  At least all of her training was making itself known; like shaking off the cobwebs to a rifle that hadn’t been used in years.  She was a professional after all – something that Chris still saw in her even if she didn’t.  
  
    Despite the new-found confidence, she couldn’t help but feel the tension weighing down on her.  Not just from her new role as a squad leader, but also from the current atmosphere of the village.  While she had initially kept her reservations to herself as they slowly advanced down the abandoned dirt road, Harley was the first to verbalize the unease.  
  
    “You two hear that?” he whispered quietly.  
  
    “Hear what?”  Tweed replied.  
  
    “Exactly.  I don’t hear anything.  No sounds of activity… no dogs barking… not even the music of any birds.”  
  
    He was right.  Jill had taken note of how quiet it had been when they had stopped just outside the village.  Now the eeriness of it all was beginning to make itself known.  Something had happened here… but what?  She was about to respond when they heard a noise.  It was the sound of glass breaking just ahead of them.  Immediately, all three of them had their rifles up.  
  
    Taking point, Jill took the lead as they moved toward the mysterious noise.  They had previously passed by three houses already with no signs of activity. Unfortunately, all were locked, and the resulting condensation from the fog made looking inside the windows nearly impossible.  There was no telling who or what they would find out here.  
  
    **_CLANG!_**  Another sound – like a tin can hitting stone.  Something was there.  
  
    Pressing herself against the corner of the adjacent building, Jill signaled for Tweed and Harley to hold their positions.   Whatever had made that noise was on the other side of the fence.  Her heart was already pounding like a bass drum, but with practiced movements she quickly turned the corner and raised her rifle.  
  
    **_CAW!_**  All she’d been able to see was something large and black coming straight at her face.  With no time to react, she got her rifle up just in time to deflect the incoming intruder before it flew past her.   ** _CAW!  CAW!  CAW!  CAW!_**  Several others followed suit and then there were black feathers floating all around her as the birds flew off in the distance.  
  
    “Shit!” she gasped as her heart nearly lodged itself in her throat.  It was a nothing but a murder of crows.  
  
    Chris’ voice was already coming through her earpiece.  “Cupid?  Everything alright?”  
  
     She was about to respond before a question began nagging at her – what were crows doing here of all places?  That was when she looked down at the ground… and immediately covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.  
  
    “Cupid?  Report!”  
  
    The disembodied voice was once again calling out to her… echoing in muted tones to accompany the beating of her heart.  With great effort, Jill somehow found the ability to switch off her emotions long enough to respond.  
  
    “Boss… this is Cupid.  You need to get to my position now.  We’ve… got bodies.”  
  
    The last part of her sentence had come out as a barely audible whisper before her attention quickly returned to the macabre scene before her.  On the ground were the bodies of over a dozen children laying within a make-shift playground.  Even with her limited expertise in medicinal matters, their bloody eyes, noses, and mouths already indicated their causes of death.  This was new proof that the rebels had launched their attack here… but for what purpose could killing a group of children serve?  
  
    She suddenly tensed when a firm, but reassuring hand rested on her shoulder.  Chris was standing next to her and taking in the horror.  
  
    “Good God…” he muttered.  
  
    Shona was kneeling amidst the bodies in an attempt to take tissue samples.  The hand-held computer he carried with him was another technological advancement made possible by their benefactors.  Even when out in the field, BSAA scientists now had the ability to do preliminary biological testing rather than take the risk of transporting hazardous materials through potentially hostile zones.  
  
    Tweed was the first to break the uncomfortable silence.  “So where are the rest of the villagers?”  she asked.  “We didn’t see any signs of activity on the way here.  Where are the other bodies?”  
  
    “We didn’t see anything either,” Willow replied.  “Dead in their homes perhaps?”  
  
    Jill let the team’s banter fade in the background of her mind as she watched Chris’ eyes meet hers.  She’d known him for so many years that she could practically read his thoughts.  The ominous look in his eyes was enough to tell her that things were quickly turning from bad to worse.  The question Tweed posed was still relevant but there were more pressing concerns as well – where were the rebels who had launched this attack?  
  
    Putting his hand on her shoulder, Chris led her away from the established perimeter.  “Jill…” he said quietly; still shocked at the brutality of what they had just seen.  
  
    Immediately, she placed her hand on his chest.  “I know, Chris.  My God...”  
  
    He lips twisted in a tight grimace.  “I’ve seen so much on this job… but to see children die like that when they should be playing in safety.  This is a whole new breed of evil we’re dealing with.”  
  
    With all of the times he had been there for her during her struggles, Jill wished that she had some words of comfort that would help ease his burden.  The BSAA had been sent out here to help these people, but it seemed as if their efforts were doomed to fail right out of the gate.  Like the capital, this village was the latest site for new atrocities committed by sociopaths who didn’t give one whit about who they hurt just as long as they came out victorious in the end.  
  
    Both of them had seen so much over the years – war, monsters, death… repeat.  When would their efforts finally make a difference?  While many lauded them as heroes, the dead children lying on the ground gave testament to that falsehood.  So what other options were there to combat this deadly game?  Give up and let the bad guys win?  No… she couldn’t see either of them doing that.  But how long would things continue on this course before the “good guys” had nothing left to give?  
  
    He then looked back up at her.  “Jill… I want you to tell me the truth – how are **_you_** doing with all of this?”  
  
    “What do you mean?”  She was stalling and immediately felt guilty for doing so. Jill knew full well what he was asking her.  
  
    “We’ve always been at our best when we’ve worked a team,” he replied, “but I have a feeling that I’m the one pressuring you.  I’ve seen how tense you’ve been – not just here but at home, too.  Did I make the right decision by asking you to come with me?”  
  
    “Chris…” she began, “you know that I’ll always be here when you need me.  That will never change.”  
  
    He stood there for a moment just looking back at her; his eyes searching hers for answers.  “Jill…”  
  
    Just then they heard something in the distance.  It was faint at first, but when a slight gust of wind blew toward them, they heard the sound more clearly.  Quickly, the two of them turned in its direction and raised their weapons.    
      
    Somewhere up ahead of them a woman was crying.

  
  
                                                               

**_Next: Chapter 1-3: Infection_ **


	5. Chapter 1-3: Infection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving deeper into the seemingly abandoned mining village, Jill, Chris, and the rest of Viper Squad uncover the horrifying effects of this newest biological attack. But as the group scrambles for the safety of a remote church, Jill will discover that perhaps the greatest danger facing them is the one she's been hiding from everybody.

**Chapter 1-3: Infection**

 

**Georgian Mining Village**  
 **Near the Georgian/Abkhazian border**  
 **September 9th 2015**  
 **11:30 GDT**  
 **  
  
**Horror.  
  
    That one word was the best summary of her life – a culmination of the past two decades which had led to many sleepless nights.  Chris had once called it an “occupational hazard” given the nature of their work.  Even though he had been through his own tribulations, the man continued to believe in the mission of the BSAA with his heart and soul.  But while the battles raged, the losses also took their toll – and Jill knew him to hold those losses close to his heart.  In a way, that selfless dedication had grounded him; making him not only a great leader but also a better friend.  He **_was_** the ideal soldier for this profession – tough, gritted, and fiercely loyal to both the men and the mission.  No matter the danger, he was always the man to lead from the front rather than cower in the rear. Having a passion like that was something she couldn’t help but envy.  Long ago it had been a common trait they had shared before her life had been turned inside out.  If only she could be that Jill Valentine of old – the woman who had been strong, determined, and unwavering in her commitment to the fight.  But deep down she realized that it wasn’t to be.  Too much had happened for her to ever feel that way again.  Wesker had done his work well.  
  
    _What am I doing here?_ Jill thought sullenly to herself . _Did I agree to come along so that I could prove to myself that I can still do this… or was I trying to show Chris that nothing has changed?_  
  
    The slow rot of doubt was rearing its ugly head; the questions were like tiny daggers assaulting what little remained of her confidence.  So often had it suffocated her in its embrace before dragging her ever deeper into the depths of despair.   ** _Why_** had she agreed to come along?  There had to have been a reason.  That was when her eyes found Chris… and with it the answer to her question.  
  
    After leaving the grisly scene back at the playground, he had made the decision for the team to stay together as they investigated the strange crying coming from the center of town.  He was off to her left on the opposite side of the road leading the squad.  As flanking support, Jill had taken Tweed and Harley to advance along the right side.  
  
    To her relief, the sun had begun burning off the layer of fog which had given way to better visibility.  However, their brief advantage was nullified by the half-hazard layout of the mining village.  The Eastern European style homes were staggered throughout the town, leaving the team with a maze of dirt roads and worn paths that obscured any sign of their objective.  
  
    Even more unnerving was the fact that Party Girl and Dee Ay hadn’t been able to get a clear line of sight on the team from their position.  In order to provide effective over watch, they’d had to displace in order to set up farther along the ridge.  That left the rest of them without sniper cover as they advanced further into the heart of the village.  
  
    Her worries were soon eclipsed when an unpleasant odor caused her nose to wrinkle in disgust.  Looking down towards the ground, Jill saw several puddles of dark vomit scattered about drawing flies.  After having lost the mysterious crying sounds a few moments ago, this new find was proof that they were indeed heading in the right direction.  With a cursory glace, she noticed smears of bloody handprints lining the door of a nearby home – more evidence that something terrible had happened here.  On closer inspection, she attempted to turn the latch without success.  It was locked.  In fact, that had been a similar trend ever since entering the village.  Every home they had come across was locked.  It was as if the people here had been trying to hide.  
  
    Up ahead, their path soon gave way to a large open area which stood out as the village square.  The buildings flanking all sides were taller than their one-story counterparts and appeared to be both living quarters for the miners as well as food dispensaries.  That was when another gust of wind blew in their direction, and Jill nearly retched from the stench.  All across the square was more evidence of this weapon’s devastating effects.  Blood, vomit, and excrement littered the ground with multiple footprints traveling in every direction.  Even the nearby storefronts were covered with soiled handprints and spatter.  Still, no bodies were present.  
  
    Chris held up a hand and their advance immediately came to a halt.  With military precision, each member of Viper Squad took a knee and set up fields of fire in all directions, looking for any signs of movement.  
  
    Shona was the first to speak.  “I believe we have found ‘ground zero’, Captain Redfield.”  
  
    “Jee-zus Christ,” Harley replied before spitting onto the ground.  “This shit looks worse than the capital bombing.”  
  
    Chris remained silent as he scanned the area with his binoculars.  When he lowered them, he turned his attention back to the squad.  
  
    “That’s true… but where are all the bodies?” he asked.  “We need to find out what’s going on here and fast.  Don’t forget that there are still armed rebels out here somewhere.”  He then went back to examining the square.  “If we can just find that sound…”  
  
    Chris stopped in mid-sentence when they heard a noise… and this time it was close.  Everyone immediately froze in place and after a moment of silence, the cries began again.  The sound was enough to make her skin crawl.  Back at the playground, they had initially thought it was someone crying for help.  Now that they were closer to the source, the sound had taken on a deep and terrible moan – one full of ominous foreboding.  It was a moan filled with pain.  
  
    With her own binoculars in hand, Jill quickly spotted a large and unused water fountain in the center of the square nearly a fifty yards away from their position.  That was when she saw a figure seated in front of it, slowly rocking back and forth.  From an initial glance, the person appeared to be a woman and immediately her hand went to Chris’ shoulder.  
  
    “Fountain,” she whispered.  
  
    Chris shifted his direction in order to bring the new mystery into view.  Jill watched as the muscles of his neck tightened in apprehension.  No doubt he also felt the danger as much as she did, but their orders stood.  They were the forward observers for not only the BSAA’s mission but also for the Georgian government – investigating the area and bringing back any intelligence were their primary objectives.  
  
    Before giving any orders, Chris radioed his sniper team and confirmed that both Party Girl and Dee-Ay were set up at their new location.  Once Fowler had given them the ‘all clear’, he relayed his commands.  
  
    “Three teams of two,” he began.  “Willow and Shona, you’re on left flank.  Tweed and Harley, you take right.  Cupid, you’re with me.  We go slow and keep our eyes open.”  
  
    After the acknowledgements had been made, Viper Squad made its advance towards the fountain.  On the way, Jill couldn’t escape the feeling of dread that was weighing down on her.  So far, the only bodies they had come across had been the dead children but all of the evidence had led her to the conclusion that the entire village had been hit in this attack – so where were the rest of the villagers?  That was when she recalled the locked doors.  Had they isolated themselves within their homes in a vain effort to hide from the evil stalking them?  Could some of them possibly still be alive?  
  
    Perhaps this woman was the lone survivor.  
  
    “Ma’am?  Can you hear me?” Chris asked as he slung his rifle behind him and tentatively reached out his hand.  “My name is Chris Redfield from the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance.  Are you injured?”  
  
    They were five yards away when the woman stopped crying.  Slowly, she sat up straight and remained still.  Jill had noticed her holding something in her arms on their approach.  Now that she had moved, the blanket had fallen away revealing two tiny feet sticking out from the protective wrapping.  That was when the woman began to growl in an almost feral-like tone and immediately began rocking back and forth once again.  
  
    “Ma’am?” Chris tried again.  “Are you…?”  
  
    “Chris!” Jill whispered emphatically as she grabbed his hand.  “Don’t!”  
  
    Slowly, the woman turned her head and looked back at them.  When Jill caught sight of her face, her eyes widened in shock.  Blood was running from every orifice – all of it proof that this woman had been exposed.  Without warning, she immediately jumped to her feet and emitted a high-pitched scream that echoed across the square.  Quickly letting go of her weapon, Jill covered her ears in an effort to block out the shrill pitch, but it was too late – all she could hear now was a persistent ringing in her ears.  From a quick glance, she saw that the rest of Viper Squad had been similarly affected.  
  
    She went for her rifle, but trying to find her balance was making her motions difficult.  The woman’s initial assault had possibly ruptured her ear drums, but there was no time to waste.  If this continued, all of them would be at risk.  It was up to her to do something.  
  
    Kneeling down in an effort to steady herself, Jill brought the rifle up to her shoulder and quickly sighted the woman.  The “Screamer’s” eyes focused on her motions before turning away and fleeing down the street.  Jill pulled the trigger, sending a three-round burst toward her target.  With her equilibrium still shaken, the first salvo went wide.  Innocent victim or no, the woman **_had_** to put her down.  
  
    Through everything transpiring, her hearing was slowly coming back.  She could hear voices, but they were distant and muted.  Still, she could have sworn her name was being called, and with that she hesitated.  A hand then grabbed her rifle.  Looking up, she saw Chris yelling something to her.  His words were an echo, but his lips were clearly forming her name.  
  
    “Jill!”  His voice was breaking through the haze.  “What the hell are you doing!?”  
  
    Standing up in surprise, she immediately pushed him away.  “What am **_I_** doing?” she replied in disbelief.  “Are you serious!?  That woman attacked us, Chris!  She’s a threat and has to be put down immediately!”  
  
    A shocked expression came over him.  “She was running away!” he argued.  “We’re here to help these people not shoot them in the back!”  
  
    Now she was angry – not just because he had stopped her, but also over the fact that he was questioning her actions right in front of his team!  She wanted to curse him… to yell at him… to hit him and knock some sense into that Neanderthal skull of his!  What the hell was wrong with **_him_**!?  The woman was a clear and present threat.  There was only one way to respond to a threat – kill it.  The dead posed no danger to anyone.  
  
    His eyes narrowed at her; a look of both caution and concern brooding within them.  He clearly wanted to say more – she could see it in his face.  As angry as she was, Jill had to concede the fact that he **_was_** correct in his rebuke.  After all, the BSAA had been sent to help the Georgian people… and her first response had been to fire on a fleeing woman despite what had happened.  
  
    Before either of them could speak, another high-pitched scream emitted from the other end of the square.  Jill brought up her rifle with the others following suit.  While she couldn’t see the source, it had to have been the same Screamer who had attacked them.  There was no time to question why it was crying that far away before another scream answer back… followed by another…  
  
    “Chris…”  
  
    More moans began crying out in response.  No… not moans – howls.  Quickly, they began blending together; forming a single scream of pure agony.  The sound was growing louder with each passing second as it reverberated all around them; surrounding them in its chilling embrace.  
  
    “Chris!”  Jill said loudly so she could be heard over the noise.  Fear was beginning to take root.  “We’re too exposed!  We need to fall back… now!”  
  
    To her relief, he had agreed with her on that point.  “Everyone…”  He was motioning back towards the location where they had entered the square.  “Fall back to the LZ!”  
  
    The cries seemed to be coming from the surrounding structures; confirming her earlier suspicions that the villagers must have taken shelter in their homes during the attack.  If the Screamer was any indication of the effects, this weapon had no doubt turned the rest into something equally horrible… and now they were aware of Viper Squad’s presence.  
  
    Chris and Willow took point back towards the dirt road while the rest of them kept an eye on the flanks.  Just as they neared the buildings however, Jill caught movement off to her left.  Suddenly, a large glass window from a nearby store shattered, sending two figures sprawling out onto the dirt.  Behind them stumbled an additional pair of men with another group of seven or more appearing from the mouth of the road.  Immediately, one caught sight of their group.  Rearing back, the man let out a terrifying howl before sprinting towards them with the others in pursuit.  
  
    “Oh this shit is about to get real!”  Harley muttered.  
  
    Jill already had her weapon up; her eye aiming through the reflex sight of the M4.  The villagers that were running towards them showed the same signs of infection – dark trails of blood running from their eyes, noses, and mouths.  All of it collecting in large stains upon their clothing.  What ever this virus was, its effects were clear – the villagers it had infected were out for blood.  
  
    “BSAA, halt!”  Chris was adhering to the field ops protocol by offering potential threats a warning first before force was used.  It was a regulation to be sure, but it was also clear that his challenge would go unheeded.  “Alright, drop them!”  
  
    Rifles crackled to life – the smell of cordite and gunpowder reaching her nose.  She’d been away from it for so long that the initial salvo had almost felt foreign.  However, war was one of those professions that a person never truly forgot, and her instincts began to kick in.  Sighting her target, Jill pulled the trigger while bracing her shoulder for the recoil.  Her target’s chest exploded from the hollow point round before stumbling to his hands and knees.  To her surprise, the man didn’t go down, nor did the others who had suffered similar injuries.  One had even lost an arm above the elbow, however he and the rest of the mob continued to scream; showing that their determination hadn’t been impeded as they staggered, limped, and crawled toward the team’s position.  
  
    Chris was quickly readjusting the team.  “Headshots!” he hollered to them.  “Aim for the head!”  
  
    Jill’s next round exploded the top of her target’s skull, dropping him motionless to the ground while the remainder of Viper Squad mopped up the rest.  Before they could readjust, a noise off to the squad’s right flank drew their attention.  Turning towards the commotion, she saw two more people banging on the glass of a nearby building.  One of them, a woman, let out a scream before blood spattered on the window pane.  Her fingers then began sliding amidst the crimson fluid as if trying to claw her way through the glass.  Two more rounds discharged, and those two also fell still.  
  
    Though she had read all of the reports from both Spain and Africa concerning parasitic infections, Jill couldn’t begin to classify what they were dealing with here.  These villagers didn’t appear to be under the influence of some mind-controlling parasite, and they certainly weren’t shambling around like undead zombies.  These people were acting like wild savages; defending their turf from foreign intruders.  
  
    A bullet suddenly whizzed over her head.  When she turned, Jill saw the headless body of another villager hit the ground behind them.  
  
    “Y’all might want to get movin’,” Party Girl replied over the radio.  “Company’s comin’ up the main road with dozens more convergin’ from the north.”  
  
    The main road had been Viper Squad’s access point into the heart of the village.  Now that it was cut off, they’d have to adopt a different strategy.  With the whole village coming for them, they wouldn’t be able to make a run for the LZ before being overwhelmed.  What they needed was a place to hold up in order to call for extraction.  Quickly looking down the road behind her, Jill noticed a church near the western edge of town.  It was situated on a small hill which would provide a defensive advantage they could exploit.  While it sat a good distance away, if they could get there…  
  
    “There’s a church at the edge of town,” Jill replied.  “We could set up a defensive position from there to combat these infected.”  
  
    Chris quickly glanced in the direction of the church before frowning.  No doubt he didn’t relish the thought of trapping his team inside an unknown structure but with the multitude of infected charging towards them, there were precious few options left.  Fortunately, Tweed offered her support.  
  
    “Boss, this position is too exposed.  We need to fall back before these bloody maniacs overrun us!”  
  
    His eyes went from Tweed’s back to hers.  The intense stare was his way of assessing the merit of a tactical option.  After her actions back at the fountain, she became concerned that he might not fully trust any advice she offered him.  However, she also knew him well enough to understand the value he placed on the lives of his teammates.  
  
    “Alright,” he replied.  “Take Tweed and secure the church.  The rest of us will provide covering fire as we fall back towards your position.”  
  
    Jill was about to leave when his hand grabbed her arm.  “Jill…” he began,  “… be careful.”  
  
    “I will,” she replied before turning to her partner.  “Are you good, Tweed?”  There was quite a sprint ahead of them.  
  
    “I’ve got your back, luv,” the woman replied.  “Let’s move!”  
  
    Behind them echoed the sound of more gunfire as the rest of Viper Squad laid down covering fire at the incoming horde.  Chris was setting his group up as the focal point to absorb the burnt of the assault while she and Tweed worked to secure a safe house for them to fall back to.  
  
    All along their path the moans continued from those villagers who were still inside their homes.  Several of them were banging on windows as they passed by in an attempt to get at them; their blood spattering with each scream.  Whether they were trapped or didn’t have the strength to break through the glass, she didn’t know but while not a threat at the moment, they could pose a tactical problem for Chris’ squad if they managed to break out and surround them.  She decided it was best to send him a warning.  
  
    “Understood,” he replied over the gunfire.  “We’ll take care of it.  Just secure that church, Cupid.  I’m counting on you.”  
  
    “Roger that,” she replied.  
  
    If they hadn’t been fighting for their lives at the moment, Jill might have actually smiled at Chris’ response.  Despite what others might have said concerning her presence here, he was putting his trust in her to complete this objective.  All of her feelings of doubt concerning her inability to handle this type of work could be damned – she wasn’t about to let him down.  Not again.  
  
    Tweed had kept up with her the entire sprint as the church grew closer.  They were only ten yards away when two infected jumped down from the nearby buildings and landed right in their path.  Her hand immediately went to her partner’s shoulder to halt their advance, but it had been too late.  Tweed’s foot slipped and together they fell to the dirt.  Jill had only enough time to look up and see that the infected were right on top of them.  
  
    Before she could readjust her rifle to take a shot, the heads of both exploded in a shower of bloody pus before the bodies collapsed on top of them.  A familiar southern accent soon filled her earpiece.  
  
    “If you two are done coppin’ a feel on each other, you might want to get back on task.”  
  
    Pushing the corpse off of her, Tweed’s face twisted into a snarl.  “That cheeky bitch!” she nearly screamed.  
  
    Jill grinned and offered her a hand.  “Don’t let her get to you, right?”  
  
    Her partner smiled back.  “You’re right, luv.  Let’s get this done first.  We can deal with that bleedin’ trollop later.”  
  
    Luck was a commodity Jill never took much stock in; however theirs seemed to hold when they found the doors to the church unlocked.  With Tweed taking point, they made their way into the sanctuary and saw that many of the prayer candles were still lit.  Perhaps the attack hadn’t reached this portion of the village?  Either way, they would need to make sure the building was secure.  
  
    From a brief scan, the church contained one main floor which held the sanctuary and was flanked along the sides by a second floor which appeared to lead up to the bell tower.  To clear the area, they would need to split up in order to cover both floors faster.  She relegated Tweed to clearing the second floor while she made sure the sanctuary was clear.  
  
    “Alright,” her partner replied as she took up position near a support column.  “Give me a boost so I can get up there.”  
  
    Jill squatted down and entwined her fingers together.  Once Tweed’s foot made contact with her hands, she used the Brit’s momentum to boost her up to the walkway.  
  
    “Keep your eyes open,” Jill said.  “We need to do this quickly but carefully.”  
  
    “I’m on it, luv,” Tweed replied with a grin.  “Stay safe.”  
  
    “Roger that…” she whispered in reply as she brought the M4 to her shoulder and pushed on.  
  
    The church was eerily quiet and her long experience provided enough sense to know that looks were always deceiving… especially when dealing with biological weapons.  These mutated creations were good at one thing – death.  Some, like the zombies she’d encountered in Raccoon City, were relentless in their pursuit once they had your scent.  Others, like the dreaded Licker, were content to remain quiet in the shadows, waiting for the right opportunity to strike when its victim was unprepared.  But there had been other, more deadly creations sent by Umbrella that she’d also had to deal with.  The Tyrant… the Hunters… Uroboros… even the dreaded Nemesis.  For seventeen years of her life she’d spent fighting these creatures, however it hadn’t mattered how many had gone against her, she’d always been the last one standing in the end.  
  
    _“And what does that make you, Jill?”_   
  
    She blinked in surprise when she heard those words… **_his_** words echoing in her head.   ** _Wesker_**.  Her body shivered at the mere thought of his name.  
  
    _“Are you truly the stoic survivor you pretend to be… or are you something else?  Something deadlier, perhaps?  I believe you already know the answer to that question.”_  
  
    Jill shut her eyes tight as her hand went to her forehead, squeezing hard in an effort to block out his voice.  
  
    “No… stop… stop it!” she gasped.  
  
    _You’ve heard them haven’t you – the whispers that gnaw at you in the back of your mind.  You know what they tell you.  All you need is a little nudge in the right direction.  What you need, Jill… is guidance.”_  
  
    She was panting; her breathing becoming so labored that she couldn’t catch her breath.  Her legs began growing weak with each passing second, threatening to drop her to the floor.  Releasing the grip on her rifle, Jill shot out her hand to steady herself against the wall before collapsing.  The tears were already running down past her nose.  What was happening to her?  Why was she thinking of this now?  Why was she thinking of …?   _Wesker…_  
  
    _I shouldn’t have come here!_  Panic was sweeping in and there was no defense against it.   _I should have stayed back on the carrier and let the waves keep me safe from this nightmare.  I… I shouldn’t have come here!_  
  
    No!  She couldn’t be thinking about this now!  While she had wanted nothing more than to collapse upon the floor and hide, a small portion of herself was trying to pull her up by the bootstraps to get her back in the fight.  She couldn’t give up now… not when Chris and the rest of Viper Squad needed her to come through!  Chris… he was trusting **_her!_**  
  
     With every ounce of courage that remained to her, Jill pulled herself to her feet.  She couldn’t give up and let fear claim her.  Chris needed her and that was all that mattered right now.  That was where she needed to place her focus – a mission had to be completed.  Once she got back to the ship however, she’d have no choice but to declare herself Section 8 – unfit for duty.  It would be a disgrace for both her and her career, but it had to be done.  She couldn’t keep up the façade any longer.  
  
    As her wits began to return, Jill noticed the smell of decay further on past the preacher’s pulpit.  The area in the back would be the priest’s quarters and study.  She’d have to check those areas in order to make sure the church was secure.  
  
    The stench of death was overpowering as she approached the quarters and carefully opened the door.  In the light of the nearby candles, the bloodied bodies of two nuns lying on the floor greeted her; however their remains had been so badly savaged that she couldn’t be sure.  Claw marks and other forms of mutilation were evident from what was left of their bodies.  It looked as if someone or something had torn them apart by hand… they weren’t alone in here.  
  
    Her hand went to her communicator.  “Tweed…”  
  
    A flash of movement caught her eye before the impact took her square in the chest, knocking the air from her lungs.  After falling flat on her back, the bloodied attacker immediately jumped on top of her while snarling like a wild beast.  From what was left of his collar and blackened clothes, she deduced that he had been the priest who resided here.   ** _He_** had been the one to kill the nuns… now he was trying to kill her!  Getting her hand up under his chin, she managed to stop him from biting at her face, but his hands were now at her throat.  Her eyes widened when she felt the man’s bloodied fingers squeeze as hard as he could.  
  
    Now she was in a fight for her life.  Reacting quickly, Jill reached up with her free hand and pushed her right thumb into her attacker’s eye.  His snarls soon turned into a howl of pain which caused his grip to loosen.  With him distracted, she reached back and punched him before shoving him off with her foot.  He staggered backwards until he hit the wall behind him and slumped down to the ground.  
  
    Already on her feet, Jill picked up the rifle to end this fight.  When the man saw her movements, he reached out a hand to protect himself as he turned away.  
  
    “No… please…” he quickly gasped in broken English.  
  
    _What the…?_  He was speaking to her!?  The other infected villagers had attacked on sight without so much as a word being spoken… but this man was trying to communicate? In that split second, Jill hesitated by lowering her weapon.  
  
    Springing to his feet, the man lunged and grabbed a hold of her rifle.  A tussle for the weapon ensued before she took advantage of both her strength and training by landing a sharp kick to the man’s shin bone.  The loud crack of his leg breaking was followed by another scream.  Now that her attacker was off balance, Jill quickly grabbed the man and flipped him over her shoulder by his arm.  Instead of letting go after he hit the floor, she immediately placed her foot on his arm pit and yanked back, dislocating his shoulder.  
  
    With her foot pinning him to the floor, Jill pulled out her sidearm and aimed it at the man’s face.  Even with a broken leg and a dislocated shoulder, he was still trying to get at her with his left hand.  There was no fear in his bloodied eye – only a primal need to kill.  That was the effect of this virus – turning people into mindless killers who attacked anyone not infected.  A biological weapon like this – the amount of damage it would cause was unfathomable.  If the rebels managed to detonate this type of weapon inside a populated city, it would turn the society against itself almost immediately… leaving it vulnerable.  Had the bombing in Tbilisi been a dry run for the rebels before they began using it in its weaponized form?  
  
    Her attention then shifted back to the man as he vainly struggled against her.  What was she going to do about him?  He was incapacitated and could easily be restrained.  Shona would no doubt like to examine him as well… but was that the right course of action?  He was still dangerous even in his weakened state.  He’d already fooled her once which had almost been the end of her.  Could she really take that chance with Viper Squad on its way?  He was a **_threat_** … and there was only one way to deal with a threat.  
  
    _“Jill… do it.”_  Her eyes narrowed.  
  
    Aiming her sidearm at the man’s head, Jill pulled the trigger… the loud discharge ending any further struggle.  
  
    “Cupid!”  
  
    She took a step back with widened eyes.  What… what in the hell did she just do?  
  
    “Cupid!”  
  
    The name was registering, and Jill quickly looked up to see Tweed calling to her.  
  
    “Are you alright?” her partner asked with concern in her eyes.  “Were you bitten?”  
  
    That was when Jill realized that Tweed must have seen the man’s blood on her throat from when he had tried to choke her.  Her partner hadn’t seen what she’d done…  
  
    Jill shook her head.  “I… I’m fine.  It’s not my blood.  I…”  Her eyes then went back to the corpse.  
  
    “I guess there was one hiding in here after all,” Tweed replied before reaching for her communicator.  “Boss, the church is secure.”  
  
    “We’re almost there,” Chris replied.  “Get those doors open fast because we’re coming in hot.”  
  
    The sounds of gunfire were growing louder as the screams of the infected followed.  While her actions were still weighing heavily on her, Jill knew that she had to put that out of her mind for now.  Chris was coming and needed them ready.  With Tweed by her side, they made their way through the sanctuary and pulled the doors open just as Viper Squad arrived.  Shona and Willow were the first ones inside followed by Chris and Harley.  As the doors began to close, Jill could see hundreds of infected running down the street towards them.  Once shut, the sounds of pounding fists and screams could be heard on the other side.  
  
    Chris was always one to think on his feet and quickly began giving orders to secure the church.  In another stroke of good fortune, the only windows to the building were on the second floor which would make them difficult to access by the infected.  After sending Willow up to begin thinning the horde, he had the rest of them carrying pews and whatever else they could find to help barricade the main door.  
  
    That was when another ear-piercing shriek came from outside.  The Screamer was back… and this time Jill knew it had to be dealt with.  
  
    “Chris!” she said after grabbing his arm.  “You have to order Fowler to kill that Screamer!  She’s riling up the village at our presence!  We have to eliminate her!”  
  
    He stared back at her for a brief moment with another look of concern in his eyes.  She had just told him that they needed to kill a mother who was now a threat to the team.  It was a difficult decision, but Jill knew her logic could not be ignored this time.  The Screamer was some sort “watchdog” – someone who would alert the village if danger was near.  And now she was drawing the rest of the infected towards their location.  
  
    Eventually his eyes yielded.  “Party Girl, do you copy?”  
  
    “Right here, Boss,” came the reply.  “I hope you know that y’all have the entire town bearin’ down on your position.”  
  
    “Noted,” Chris replied.  “But right now I need you and Dee-Ay to target the woman who is screaming.  She’s alerting the rest of the village to our location.”  
  
    There was a pause.  “Roger that.  Stand by.”  
  
    Outside, the screaming continued… before suddenly going quiet.  
  
    “Target’s down.”  Fowler had taken down the threat.  
  
    “Copy that,” Chris acknowledged before turning to the rest of them.  “All right, the rest of you – get a field of fire down on the crowd so we can…”  
  
    He stopped in mid-sentence when the villagers suddenly stopped their assault and began chanting.  While Jill couldn’t make out what they were saying, it sounded as if they were chanting someone’s name.  That was when a loud roar came from outside.  
  
    “Oh shit!” Willow exclaimed.  
  
    “What do you see…?” Chris began to say before their recon operative immediately interrupted him.  
  
    “Brace the door!”  
  
    The thick sounds of footsteps were running towards the church.   ** _WHAM!_**  The doors curved inwards for a brief second and knocked some of the pews aside.  Chris was already leading the effort to push the barricade back in place while also trying to get details on the new enemy attacking them.  
  
    “He’s huge!” Willow tried to explain as she discharged a burst of gunfire toward the threat.  “Maybe seven or eight feet tall!  He’s trying to ram through the door!”  
  
    The doors shuddered from the second impact, but together she and the rest of the team pushed back and held the barricade.  They wouldn’t be able to keep this up for much longer before the perimeter was breached.  When the infected got in, they would be as good as dead… or worse.  
  
    _Damn it!_  Jill chastised herself.  This had been her idea to bring Viper Squad here.  Fighting out on the streets would have been a losing proposition regardless… but being slaughtered in this church with no escape would be equally bad.  They couldn’t stay defensive for too much longer.  That was when Jill realized that this was up to her.   ** _She_** was the one who had to buck up and do something… and an idea came to her.  
  
    “Tweed, on me!” Jill ordered as she moved away from the barricade and towards the second floor walkway.  
  
    “Jill?  What are you doing!?”  Chris yelled.  
  
    “I’m going to fix this problem!” she shot back.  “Tweed and I are the only ones equipped with 203’s.  We can take this man out from the roof!”  
  
    “Alright,” he replied.  “But do it quickly.  We won’t be able to hold the doors for much longer without your help.”  
  
    Jill nodded in response – she knew the score all too well.  If they didn’t stop this giant though, then none of them would be getting out of here alive.  Tweed was already at the column waiting for her.  With a quick dash, Jill boosted herself up onto the walkway before turning around and offering her partner a hand up.  Together they passed Willow’s position and found the ladder which would take them up to the bell tower and the roof.  From there they would have a clear shot down at their target.  
  
    Once they were through the trap door and up onto the roof, Jill looked down to assess the situation on the ground.  The infected had surrounded the church with the bulk of them concentrated at the entrance.  There, they had cleared a path so that the charging giant would have a clear shot at the doors.  
  
     Willow had not been overstating matters when she said the man was huge.  Whether it was some mutation from the virus or the man’s own physical size, he was clearly over eight feet tall with huge, broad shoulders.  Putting his shoulder into position, he quickly ran full speed towards the doors.  
  
    **_WHAM!_**  
  
    Loading an M203 explosive round, she looked over at Tweed who was doing the same.  “You ready?” she asked.  
  
    Tweed nodded.  “Let’s drop this bastard.”  
  
    When he set himself in position to begin his next charge, both she and her partner fired their launchers.  Their explosives detonated right in front of the man, sending debris into his face.  Their sudden attack had distracted him and sent him charging off toward the left side; taking out several infected before slamming into the stone wall of the church.  He then staggered backwards before letting out a howl of protest.  
  
    This strategy wasn’t going to work.  They would have to hit him dead on with an explosive round to have any hope of stopping him.  To do that, they would have to keep him from moving.  
  
     Rather than loading another explosive round into her launcher, Jill instead loaded an incendiary shell.  When the giant began to recover, she immediately aimed her weapon at his feet and fired.  The grenade exploded and covered the man in a ball of fire.  A loud scream erupted as he began spinning in a circle while the flames engulfed him and the villagers surrounding him.  His suffering would only last for a brief moment as the shot from Tweed’s launcher hit him right between the shoulder blades.  The resulting explosion tore off the upper half of his body in a shower of gore.  
  
    “Boss, this is Cupid.  Hostile terminated.”  
  
    Now that the giant was eliminated, they could focus their attention on the common infected who were again trying to break their way into the church now that their champion had been felled.  She was about to reload her M4 when the sound of a ricochet startled her.  
  
    “Cupid, get down!”  Tweed yelled as the woman tackled her to the ground.  
  
    As they crawled their way towards cover under the overhang of the roof, Jill could hear voices in the distance shouting commands in Georgian.  Soon more gunfire erupted towards their position, forcing them to keep their heads down as the bullets struck against cover.  
  
    “Boss, we’re taking fire from the roof!” she yelled.  “Unknown number of armed hostiles are firing on our position!”  
  
    “Cupid?” Chris replied.  “Say again – who’s firing on you?”  
  
    Who was firing on them?  It couldn’t have been the villagers.  Those who had survived the attack had come after them like mindless savages bent on death.  So who could it be?  Suddenly, she made the connection – it was the rebels.  They were the ones responsible for the infection here.  They must have fallen back after their initial attack, knowing that there would be a government response.  
  
    That was when she realized a horrible truth.  The attack on this village had been the precursor to something larger.  
  
    It was a premeditated ambush… and the BSAA had walked right into it!    

  
  
**_Next: Chapter 1-4: Prey_ **


	6. Chapter 1-4: Prey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pinned down by infected villagers trying to claw their way inside, Viper Squad is now coming under fire by rebel forces who have surrounded their position. Air support is the only option now... but before it can be acquired Jill must lead a daring raid against a fortified enemy position.

**Chapter 1-4: Prey**

 

**Georgian Mining Village**  
 **Near the Georgian/Abkhazian Border**  
 **September 9th 2015**  
 **12:52 GDT**  
 **  
**Lying there on her back, Jill couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of awe at how peaceful the blue sky above her appeared.  It was a sight in stark contrast to the bullets currently flying over her head; their furious buzz reminiscent of insects that were relentless in their pursuit of blood.  What was happening here?  How could the rebels have sprung an ambush like this?  
  
    “Boss!” she yelled over the roar of battle surrounding her, “We’re pinned down up here!  Enemy fire is coming at us from the north side of the road!”  
  
    Those precious few seconds felt like an eternity before she heard the reassuring sound of voice.  “Roger that, Cupid; we’re going to lay down some cover fire into those buildings.  As soon as it starts, be sure you two haul ass!”  
  
    “Copy that!” she managed to reply before a bullet struck the stone above her head.  
  
    The rebels were getting closer; Jill could hear them laughing and shouting their threats.  Even though she was afraid at being on the defensive like this, there was also a new-found sense of anger brewing within her that was combating against the suffocating grip – anger over the fact that not only did Viper Squad have to contend with infected villagers, but they would now have to battle against the armed group responsible for this travesty.  She couldn’t explain it but for some reason that growing rage was making her feel warm inside – like curling up in a hot bath and experiencing a release of forbidden pleasure.  Although the feeling frightened her, she was willing to grasp at anything to keep her head in the fight.  All she had to do was make it back to the carrier alive – her and the rest of the team.  
  
    Glancing over at Tweed, Jill saw the same pissed-off look in the Brit’s eyes.  The woman was looking for payback.  “So we ready to do this, luv?”  
  
    Jill managed a grin in response.  Despite the number of close associates she still had in her life, she was beginning to like Tweed more.  “We’re not done yet.  When Chris and the others…”  
  
    She was interrupted by a massive amount of firepower echoing from the floor below.  Viper Squad was firing on the rebel positions; giving both of them time to move.  Tweed was the first one up and extended a hand.  Jill grabbed it and together the two of them made a dash for the trap door.  
  
    Once inside the relative safety of the church’s interior, she found Chris on the second floor by the north side windows with Willow as his support.  When he saw her approach, his eyes lit up with genuine relief.  
  
    “Jill!  Thank God!” he replied before a bullet struck the nearby window frame; forcing all of them to take cover behind the stone wall.  “I don’t suppose either of you got a good look at their numbers while you were up there?”  
  
    After defeating the village giant, neither she nor Tweed had time to catch their breath before the bullets began tearing across the roof.  The only thing she knew for certain was that the enemy was concentrating their forces from the northern side of the road and relayed that much to Chris.  
  
    “So what’s the plan, Boss?” Tweed asked before letting loose a burst of fire.  “Things are going to be getting real tight here if these bastards start pressing in.”  
  
    While Harley and Shona had already been sent to reinforce the southern and western sectors of the church, there was still too much area to cover even with Party Girl and Dee-Ay providing sniper support.  Fortunately, Chris was already in the midst of formulating a plan.  As soon as they had started taking fire from the rebels, he had relayed the situation back to Parker who had immediately authorized their helicopter pilot, Captain Johnson, to provide air support.  
  
    “They’re five minutes out,” he replied before reloading a fresh magazine.  “We just need to hold until he arrives.  With some helicopter fire, we can gain the initiative and drive these bastards back.”  
  
    “What the hell!?” Willow exclaimed before adding, “Boss!  Check the road!”  
  
    Jill peered through the window and saw several rebel soldiers running across the road directly in front of the church.  While it was a flanking move they had all anticipated, something else had the team’s attention.  The villagers below weren’t turning to attack them – in fact, they seemed to be ignoring the rebels completely!  How was that possible after the reception Viper Squad had received?  
  
    Chris was the first to respond.  “What in God’s name?  They’re moving right between them!”  
  
    He was right.  Several Abkhazians had already crossed to the opposite side of the road and not one villager paid them any heed.  
  
    “Shit!” Willow replied.  “Do we have a contingency for **_this_**?”  
  
    Just then the radio crackled to life with Johnson’s voice.  “Viper One this is Eagle; we’re entering your AO.  Standing by with a shit-load of firepower awaiting your co-ordinates.”  
  
    Chris acknowledged the pilot’s reply and quickly tagged the homes north of the church for the first run.  The sound of the helo’s rotors reverberated off the church roof before it was eclipsed by the _“woosh”_ of a rocket firing down on the target.  One of the homes across the road exploded in a ball of fire before the chopper’s machine guns raked the surrounding structures.  
  
    Like ants caught in a deadly rain of steel, the rebels quickly scurried for cover.  With Chris’ direction, the members of Viper Squad began to take advantage of the confusion by quickly opening up with a targeted salvo of their own, dropping three of the enemy fighters.  He then attempted to re-direct the chopper’s fire towards the force that had flanked south when Jill noticed two exhaust trails fire off from the northern part of the village.  Her eyes widened in dread when she realized that the rebels must have brought along anti-aircraft missiles, and now they were targeting the chopper!  
  
    Johnson was already on the radio.  “Taking fire!  Taking fire!” he yelled as the helo quickly banked right; narrowly avoiding the incoming threat.  “Viper One, I’ve gotta bug out!  There’s an enemy SAM position near the northern edge of town!  Sorry, but I won’t be able to provide additional CAS until the threat has been neutralized.  I’ll maintain a safe distance until you radio that the area’s clear.  Out.”  
  
    “Damn it!” Chris swore as he looked out the window in the direction of the developing threat.  To make matters worse, the enemy fire from the street was slowly intensifying now that the rebels realized they had regained the initiative.  Now Viper Squad was a sitting duck.  
  
    “The hell does he want **_us_** to do about it – wade out there in the middle of this shit-storm to blow up a goddamned building!?” Harley yelled from across the sanctuary.  
  
    “Blasphemy…” Shona muttered.  “We are in a house of God.”  
  
    “Hey, do you see JC taking any sides here?”  
  
    While not the most eloquent in speech, Harley’s question did put their tactical situation in perspective.  At the moment they were surrounded with no room to maneuver and had no air support.  Still, that didn’t change their new objective.  If the SAM nest wasn’t cleared, the BSAA couldn’t risk sending additional air units into the area.  That meant no backup and no extraction.  
  
    “That building is nearly a quarter of a mile away from here,” Chris replied with grim introspective.  He then looked over at her.  “Any options out there, Jill?  Anything at all we can use?”  
  
    Going out in the open on foot was out of the question.  Even if by some miracle they could battle through the scores of infected who were left, that would still leave the rebels picking them off one-by-one.  What they needed was a stealth option – a way to approach the target building without being spotted.  As she glanced around the area, Jill caught sight of something shimmer in the glare of the sun – a manhole cover!  She had noticed it earlier during the sprint to the church.  The village must have had a sewage system running beneath it.  
  
    “There’s a sewer entrance in the middle of the road,” she replied.  “If we could get there, we may have a chance to follow it all the way towards the enemy position.”    
  
    Chris was about to respond when Tweed called up to them from the sanctuary.  Before the air strike had commenced, Chris had tasked the woman with trying to find an alternate exit which the team could used to escape the church.  Apparently, she had found something and began relaying her findings.  One of the places she had searched was the church basement where she’d come across a maintenance door.  
  
    “It has to lead to the sewers,” she added.  “Unfortunately, the bloody thing’s locked.”  
  
    “It’s worth a shot,” Chris replied.  He then turned to her.  “Jill, you’re our resident lock-picking expert.  See if you can get that door open.  If we can hit that location from where they least expect us, we might just be able to pull this off.”  
  
    The plan was a long-shot, but anything was better than sitting around waiting for their ammo to run out.  A knife would be quite ineffective in a gun fight.  
  
    Once she had dropped down to the sanctuary, Tweed immediately put a hand on her shoulder.  “Just a heads up, luv – there’s a bugger of a locking mechanism on that door.  You might have your work cut out for you.”  
  
    After making her way down to the basement and finding her latest challenge, Jill soon realized that Tweed hadn’t been overstating matters.  Not only was the door constructed of a solid sheet of steel, but it had no conventional locking system, making her skills useless.  There were also no recesses or handles of any kind; the only unique features were four words surrounding the frame – one near each corner.  They read – _“Creation”_ , _“Tribes”_ , _“Plagues”_ , and _“Resurrection”_.  
  
    _Just great…_ Jill thought with dismay, _another puzzle lock._  
  
    Taking a moment to examine the words, she began to notice that next to each was a six-sided square block with letters written on each side.  Her eyes widened when she realized that the “I”, “V”, and “X”s were actually Roman numerals!  Each word seemed to require a corresponding number as an answer.  
  
    “Creation…” she whispered to herself; deciding it was best to begin there since that was when the Earth was said to have been made by God’s hand.  They were in a church after all so the answers had to pertain to Biblical history.  It almost felt like being transported back to her old Sunday school classroom when she was a little girl.  Now, all of that knowledge was coming back to her.  “… God created the Earth and all of its inhabitants in…”  She was about to say “seven” until she remembered that had been the day God had rested – the answer had to be “six”.  
  
    Turning the block, Jill found one side held a “VI” and immediately set it into place.  Her attention then shifted to the word _“Tribes”_ – which had to be referencing the _twelve_ tribes of Israel.  Once again, she set the block to “XII” and moved on.   _“Plagues”_ had to be “X” for the _ten_ plagues of Egypt, and _“Resurrection”_ had to be “III” referring to Jesus’ resurrection on the _third_ day.  
  
    With her choices made, the door suddenly shuddered before recessing back and then sliding upwards.  On the other side, Jill saw nothing but blackness and a faint echo of water below – a testament that she had just found the entrance to the underground sewer.  Switching on her flashlight, she confirmed her assumption when the ripples of water caught the light before noticing a ladder leading down.  
  
    After informing Chris of her discovery, she added, “I’ll go scout it out and let you know what I…”  
  
    “Cupid… no,” he interrupted with dismay in his voice.  “You… your not under my command.  I can’t order you to…”  
  
    She knew what he was doing and this time she interrupted him.  “I’m your combat advisor, aren’t I?” she asked.  “Well, I’m advising you to let me volunteer to see where this tunnel leads.  Like you said, we need to eliminate the enemy SAM position in order to get air support.  Without it, we’re as good as dead.”  
  
    There had been a forceful edge to her voice – something she had hated to do.  Chris had always been a kind and caring friend to her for as long as she’d known him, but he’d been extremely over-protective of her ever since Africa.  Perhaps she bore part of that blame given the fact that she had enabled him to feel that way – to be the one responsible for providing her a sense of security after all Wesker had done.  After their return home, she had put on a brave face but clung to Chris’ friendship like a life boat in a sea of mental anguish.  But she couldn’t be that woman now.  She couldn’t be unable to do perform her job in the middle of a battle with so much at stake.  The dynamic of everything had to change if she was to make it through this intact.  
  
    After everything she had experienced so far, Jill knew in her heart that she was in no condition to be out here performing field work again… especially with what was going on inside her head.  There was so much that she didn’t understand… and with that came a feeling of danger.  She had gotten into a scuff with Chris once already which wasn’t like her.  Then she had executed the priest instead of taking him prisoner for Shona to examine.  And Wesker…  
  
    Jill closed her eyes and took a silent breath.   _Not now,_ she thought to herself.   _Chris and the others need me.  I just have to make it back to the carrier.  Once there… then I can face my demons.  God knows it’s been long overdue._  
  
    “Boss…” she said in a more soothing tone, “don’t you trust your partner?”  
  
    Silence was his response, and Jill knew all too well that he was agonizing over her decision.  Fortunately, she knew him better than even he might believe.  In battle, a commander had to allow logic to dictate his actions, and she knew that he would do so here.  
  
    “You’re not going down there alone,” he finally said.  “Everyone in Viper Squad works as a team.  Choose someone to go with you.”  
  
    “Tweed,” she replied.  While she regretted having to drag the Brit on another quest into the unknown, the two of them had gotten along well.  However, there was another, more practical reason for her choice.  Tweed was also the team’s demolitions expert, and Jill had no doubts that the woman’s skills would be needed if they had any hope of taking down the SAM nest.  
  
    After Chris’ acknowledgement, Jill knelt down to examine the tunnel before her.  This was why sending a scouting party ahead of the main force was always important.  She could still remember days long past when she was a member of Delta Force and had learned that lesson from her CO.  Out in the field, knowledge was power… but so was stealth.  Chris was right – if they could combine the two together, they might just have a shot at this.  
  
    “Heads up, luv.  Got a present for you,” Tweed replied as she tossed a riot shotgun in her direction.  “Works better for close encounters.”  
  
    Catching it in one hand, Jill immediately checked the load out.  Seven rounds were already in the chamber with an additional seven located on the weapon’s side.  The red ring around each shell casing caught her eye.  
  
    Tweed smiled.  “Dragon’s Breath – real effective against enemy personnel…  or B.O.W.s.  It’s not much, but it should do the job.  I had to leave the rest behind so the gang wouldn’t run out of ammo.”  
  
    “They need it more than us,” she replied in agreement before leading the way down into the sewer passage.  
  
    Unfortunately, the tunnel was leading them eastward towards the town square.  While not the direction they needed to go, Jill was hoping that it would intersect with other tunnels where one of them would lead north.  The smell permeating the area was quite unpleasant, but she was grateful that the water level had only reached their ankles.  She didn’t want to think about wading through waste-filled water that was up to her chest like she had back in Raccoon.  
  
    Above them echoed the distant sound of battle.  Being underground had muted the exchange, but Jill estimated that she and her partner had already traveled beyond the enemy’s lines.  That was when she stole a glance at Tweed and felt another stab of regret at putting the woman’s life in danger once again.  Initially, she had planned on doing this alone but had only agreed to a partner in an effort to placate Chris.  
  
    “Sorry about dragging you into this,” she finally said.  
  
    Tweed looked back with a confused expression on her face.  “Sorry for what, luv?” the Brit asked.  “For me doing my job?  Shit… being proactive beats sitting back there taking fire.  Besides…” A smile soon crested on the woman’s lips.  “… I don’t think that you would have been able to breach that house without some help from my ‘blokes’.”  
  
    Her partner then chuckled; apparently amusing herself with some sort of inside joke that Jill wasn’t privy to.  They hadn’t reached any other tunnels yet so she decided ask about it.  
  
    “Your ‘blokes’?”  
  
    Tweed reached down to lift up the side pack she was carrying.   “My C-4, luv,” she replied with another smile.  “Don’t get me wrong – men have their uses too, but plastic explosives are so much more exciting, don’t you think?”  
  
    Jill arched an eyebrow.  “Really?  How so?”  
  
    “Well, these ‘blokes’ here are loyal and make one hell of a bang just like a guy – but they have one very important quality I prefer.”  Tweed paused with a mischievous smile before adding, “They let me **_control_** every aspect of what they do.  It’s much less of a fuss when it comes to getting my way.”  
  
    A chuckled escaped her before she could stop it.  “That’s… not what I was expecting,” Jill replied with a smile quickly spreading across her lips.  There was no question that she liked this woman – there were no secrets with her.  
  
    Their conversation soon came to a halt when they reached a junction containing three additional tunnels bringing in waste water from other areas of the village.  From the direction of the flow, Jill deduced that the sewer was indeed moving north towards the river.  Following that tunnel should lead them to an exit point near their destination.  
  
    As they pushed on, Jill was suddenly overcome with a feeling that they were being watched.  She didn’t know what was making her feel that way, but she immediately stopped for a moment to listen to her surroundings.  That was when she heard a noise.  It had been faint at first, but she could have sworn she heard footsteps moving through the water.  
  
    _“Anytime…”_  
  
    Quickly pivoting toward their flank, she already had the shotgun up to her shoulder, shining the flashlight down the length of the tunnel.  That voice – it had been a mere whisper but as she looked around, Jill saw nothing in the distance.  
  
    “What is it?” Tweed asked.  
  
    For the past two hours she’d been on pure adrenaline.  After being away from the field for so many years, Jill began to question whether the stress of combat was causing her to hear things that weren’t there.  She had already heard **_his_** voice back at the church which immediately made her apprehensive.  What ever was going on with her, she had to hold it in check.  
  
    Jill shook her head before lowering the weapon.  “It’s nothing,” she replied before turning back toward their destination.  “Let’s keep moving.”  
  
    Up ahead, light began filtering in through end of the tunnel coupled with the sound of the river – they were close.  Once they had reached the exit, Jill saw a large iron grate blocking the way.  To their luck it also contained a built-in gate which was the access point; however one look at its rusty condition gave proof that it had been years since it was last used.  They would need to figure out a way to get past it in order to press on.  That was when an idea came to her.  
  
    “Do you have any… smaller ‘blokes’ we can use to break the lock?” she asked Tweed with a sheepish grin.  
  
    Her partner smiled before reaching into her bag and pulling out three small chunks of C4.  “Just watch my back,” she replied and began attaching the charges to the large square lock and the hinges.  
  
    As a fellow demolitions expert, Jill knew that any amount of explosive would get the job done.  But when trying to keep actions like this as quiet as possible, there was no such thing as a ‘silent’ bomb.  Even the small amount Tweed was using would produce sound.  Fortunately, the nearby river would help stifle the coming blast.  She just hoped it would be enough.  
  
    ‘Ready, luv,” Tweed replied, prompting the two of them to step back and cover their ears.  Her partner then pressed the detonator.  The charges quickly destroyed the lock and hinges; however the gate remained fixed in place.  
  
    “Shit!” Tweed swore as she quickly tried to pull it open.  “The bloody thing’s rusted right to the damned grate!  If we set off any more charges…!”  
  
    “Let me try.”  Jill immediately pushed the Brit off to the side.  
  
    Grabbing the door with both hands, she began pulling with all of her might.  As brutal as Wesker’s experiments had been to her body, one of the side effects she had maintained was her enhanced strength.  It was something that had stayed with her even after Chris had removed the “shackle” from her chest.  
  
    As she continued pulling, Jill’s eyes narrowed with new-found frustration.  Her work associates at the BSAA had classified her “enhanced” abilities as valuable assets, but they were never something she had asked for or wanted.  What she **_had_** wanted was her life back – the years Wesker had stolen from her.  Before that time, she had been one of the very best operatives the BSAA had to offer.  Now, she was nothing more than a burned out soldier who bore the physical scars of her captivity.  They were a constant reminder that not only had her life been changed forever but that the years she had lost would never be returned.  
  
    Frustration soon turned to anger and with a tug born from familiar rage, Jill pulled as hard as she could.  The door groaned in protest before buckling inwards, producing a hole large enough for them to escape.  
  
    “Holy shit, Cupid!” Tweed gasped.  “How in the bloody hell did you do that!?”  
  
    Jill offered a small smile once she’d secured the shotgun from her partner.  “Just one of the many perks of being me,” she replied with a hint of sarcasm.  It was a lie… but then again it wasn’t Tweed’s problem either – it was hers and hers alone.  
  
    After emerging from the sewer, the two of them climbed up the steep bank along the river bed and took cover in the tall grass.  They had made it to the northern outskirts of the village.  Off to the left about one hundred feet away stood a wooden bridge which must have been used when traveling to the local mine.  Ahead of them was the northern part of the town… and their target.  The three-story building was located right near the outskirts which, as luck would have it, held an approach hidden by trees and foliage.  Getting there undetected wouldn’t be the problem.  The problem was the infected villagers that chained up along the northern perimeter of the building.  Each one was harnessed to a collar and chain like some sort of guard dog and were most likely being used to warn their captors of incoming danger from the north.  
  
    The placement of the infected also made it appear as if the Abkhazians weren’t worried about an attack from this direction.  Not only were there no soldiers patrolling the dirt paths between the nearby buildings, but the men inside were laughing and singing as if the battle had already been won.  Lowering her binoculars, Jill narrowed her eyes.  All of them would be in for one nasty surprise soon enough.  
  
    After relaying the situation to Chris, he informed her that the team was still holding their own but that ammo was now down to less than half remaining.  She and Tweed would need to move fast.  
  
    “So how do you want to hit them?” her partner asked.  
  
    Jill pointed towards the bushes and tall grass off to the left which would offer cover on their approach.  With the rebels’ “pets” guarding the flank, every man not armed with a SAM was probably watching the area to the south, awaiting a BSAA counter-attack.  If the two of them could sneak up and quietly dispatch the infected, they could enter the building undetected and get the drop on those inside.  
  
    Pulling out her combat knife, Jill silently signaled to her partner.  Tweed nodded in affirmation and together they quietly moved through the tall grass before taking up position behind a large bush that concealed them from their quarry.  Jill then peered around the foliage to assess her options.  
  
    There were four of them slowly shuffling around the building’s face.  Once each of them had reached the end of their chain, they were jerked back before heading in the opposite direction.  They appeared docile at the moment which was a good thing.  If the priest she had fought earlier was any indication of their savagery, it would make them much easier to take down if they were distracted.  She just needed a way to draw their attention…  
  
    Reaching down, she picked up a rock.  With a targeted throw, Jill threw it across the divide and hit a metal trash can sitting next to an adjacent home.  The sound of the can spilling over immediately drew the attention of the infected as they began moving towards the sound… turning their backs to both of them.  
  
    Beginning with the closest pair, she slipped in behind the one on the left and immediately shoved her knife through the back of the woman’s skull.  Tweed mirrored her takedown and together they quietly laid the two bodies in the grass.  Repeating the same strategy, they eliminated the second pair and secured the front of the building.  
  
    Entering the building had been textbook military procedure.  After having Tweed use the “snake cam” to make sure no hostiles were present on the ground floor, Jill had succeeded in picking the door lock, and the two silently slipped inside the structure.  Given the bar and nearby seating arrangements, the building must have served as some type of tavern for the village.  Above them came the voices of the Abkhazian rebels.  From what she could translate, they were commenting on the situation at the church and that the BSAA presence was more powerful than they had anticipated.  At least Viper Squad’s skill was giving the enemy pause, and given the fact that their arrival had gone undetected, Jill planned on making good use of that.  
  
    Silently making her way up to the second floor, Jill could hear two sets of voices coming from both a nearby room on the south face of the building as well as the floor above her.  This presented an unfavorable tactical situation.  While she had no idea exactly how many men were inside the building, she could ill afford to attack one group and alert the rest to their presence.  That was when she made the decision to split up.  She would have Tweed set a shape charge on the second floor door and breach the room while she took a block of C-4 and went upstairs.  Working together, they could hit both groups at the same time.  
  
    After sneaking her way up to the third floor, Jill saw an open room where three men were watching the windows to the south.  Before she could make her way over to set up an assault, she suddenly heard the sound of the attic door opening above her… and she froze.  
  
    Someone from the roof was coming down!

    With little time to react, Jill quickly ducked into cover beneath the staircase as her unexpected arrival descended toward the third floor.  Another voice above had yelled down to the man, but she couldn’t make out what was said.  The incoming soldier muttered something about a ‘devil’ but made no reply.  
  
    Now she had to think fast.  If this man’s destination was the second floor, he would run into Tweed and blow any chance of them getting the drop on these rebels.  There was no choice – she had to take him out and fast.  Moving out from cover, Jill went low and drew her knife.  Just as he was about to descend the steps, voices from the adjacent room stopped him.  Jill quickly crouched in the shadows as the man turned and made his way toward his comrades.  
  
    Closing her eyes, she exhaled a sigh of relief.  Their presence still hadn’t been detected, and she decided that now was the best time to act if she and Tweed were to take advantage of the situation.  After signaling her intentions to her partner, Jill used the shadows to move toward the room’s opening.  The rebel who had come from the roof was standing in the doorway with his back turned, giving her the perfect opportunity to make the first move.  Removing the grenade from her belt, Jill stood up and quickly landed a kick into the hapless man’s back, sending him sprawling into the room.  The others inside looked up in shock when they saw her standing there.  
  
    Taking advantage of the lull, she quickly tossed the grenade into the room and then pushed herself into cover.  Screams erupted right before the blast of the explosion sent debris raining out into the hallway.  Turning the corner with her shotgun raised, she saw that three of them were on the floor and bleeding while the last staggered forward with half of his head missing.  The blackish-red blood was rolling down what was left of his face… until something began to emerge from within.  Jill’s eyes widened when she saw a large larva-like head sprout from the remains of the man’s skull; reminding her of some sort of giant insect from a horror movie.  That was when she made the connection – these rebels were also infected with this new virus but instead of turning into blood-thirsty savages, they had been implanted with a parasite!  
  
    Was this the Las Plagas… or Uroboros?  In that split second her mind was swimming with the possibilities, but the immediate threat had to be neutralized.  Raising the shotgun, Jill fired her first shot into her target’s upper torso; the flame-imbued round igniting the bloodied body on fire.  It staggered once while squealing in an unearthly tone right before she finished it off with another shot a bit higher.  The insect-like head exploded just as its flaming body crested the broken window and fell out of sight.  The room was now secure.  
  
    Meanwhile, her partner had begun her own assault right after her grenade had detonated.  True to their Special Forces backgrounds, the two of them had managed to clear the interior of the building without one rebel fighting back.  
  
    Upon exiting the room, she caught sight of Tweed ascending the stairs.  “You good, luv?” the Brit asked.  
  
    Jill nodded and then pointed up towards the roof.  “There’s one more up there.  Stay on my six.”  
  
    Leading the breach, she and her partner charged through the attic door and were immediately greeted by the warm embrace of the sun.  It almost appeared out of place given the fact that they were in the middle of a war zone, but she refused to allow the peaceful moment to detract from her objective.  Moving with military precision, her shotgun was at the ready as she and Tweed broke off with Jill advancing east and her partner west.  But to her surprise… no one was there.  The roof appeared clear.  
  
    Still, she pressed forward and that was when she saw several empty missile crates stacked along the wall… but there were no soldiers.  Her brow furrowed in confusion at the mysterious scene – how was this possible?  She had clearly heard someone shout down from up here.  So… where was he?  
  
    “Looks clear, Cupid,” Tweed replied.  “Maybe we got all of the sorry buggers.”  
  
    “We can’t take that chance,” she replied quickly.  
  
    A shiver of fear rolled down her spine at the possibility that perhaps she was hearing things once again like she had down in the sewer.  That thought quickly began to terrify her more than a potential rebel they may have missed.  Either way, she had to be sure.  
  
    “We need to…”  
  
    “Hey,” her partner replied; her hand grasping at Jill’s shoulder.  “You know I’ll search with you, but we need to let Captain Redfield know that the SAM nest is neutralized.  They won’t survive much longer without air support.”  
  
    That was a risk, but Tweed had a point – Chris needed to know that their objective had been completed.  If Viper Squad didn’t receive air support, they would be overrun just as soon as their ammo was spent.  Without further delay, she made the call.  
  
    “Boss, this is Cupid.  SAM nest has been neutralized – I say again, the SAM nest has been neutralized.  Call in the air support.”  
  
    “Great job you two,” Chris responded.  “I’m putting in the call right now.  Hold tight until we clear this area, and then we’ll advance toward you.”  
  
    Jill let out a sigh of relief.  “Copy that.  We’ll hold here.  Out.”  
  
    Gunfire could still be heard off in the distance, but soon the shape of Captain Johnson’s Blackhawk materialized off the horizon.  Once in position, the helo hovered above the church like a guardian angel before raining hellfire down on the enemy positions.  In the moment that followed, Jill couldn’t suppress her feelings of elation.  
  
    From the very beginning of this mission, she’d been questioning her place – not just with Chris’ team but also her standing within the BSAA.  The past six years had been a continuous struggle that she hadn’t anticipated along with the constant miring of doubt.  Perhaps she shouldn’t have come here after all.  Like her nightmares that would vanish as smoke in the face of coming dawn, there were other emotions she had experienced as well.  Fear… anger… rage… regret – all of them she had no doubt were a part of her missing past… a past she still couldn’t remember.  And today she was feeling those same emotions again.  What could it all mean?  
  
    While her current intentions were to relieve herself from duty upon her return, Jill had to admit that if she hadn’t agreed to come along, there was no telling what would have happened to Chris and the others in her absence.  Would they have been able to accomplish what she and Tweed had pulled off?  Maybe she owed herself more credit than she was willing to allow.  Still, it was difficult.  Ever since boarding the helicopter, she couldn’t escape the images of what she had done to Chris back in Africa… or even Wesker’s oppressive presence.  It would forever be a scar upon her heart that would never heal.  
  
    By contrast to her somber response, Tweed was nearly euphoric at witnessing the battle’s turn.  “Holy shit!  Look at those bastards run!” she nearly shouted as her hand came to rest on Jill’s shoulder.  “We did it, luv!”  
  
    Jill had to admire the woman’s camaraderie with the team.  While neither of them got along well with Party Girl, her partner truly cared for the well-being of her squad mates.  A good team consisted of men and women willing to work together to fulfill a mission.  However, Viper Squad was more than that.  It was a team comprised of the very best the BSAA had to offer – a team not only willing to complete an objective, but one whose members would do anything to bring their teammates home alive.  
  
    “I just hope everyone’s okay,” was her tempered response.  
  
    “You know that your man will lead them out of it.  He’s one of the best… just like you.”  
  
    Jill actually felt surprise at hearing someone else’s praise for her actions.  Except for Chris, most of the other members continued to treat her as a pariah.  While her coworkers had accepted her help and knowledge, there was little in the way of gratitude.  And there’d been no end to the whispers spoken behind her back – even from trusted colleagues who had once been her friends.  As much as it cut like a knife upon flesh, she hadn’t blamed them for their distrust.  In fact, she had blamed herself more than anyone ever could after all that had transpired.  To hear words of praise… they felt as foreign as the country they were currently in.  
  
    “I’m just the advisor to this team, Tweed… nothing more.”  
  
    “Hey, none of that talk now, luv.”  Her partner stood before her and placed both hands on her shoulders.  “You’re one of us.  Everyone’s seen what you’re capable of and what you’ve done for this team.  There isn’t one member of Viper Squad that wouldn’t have your back in a scrape.”  
  
    In that moment, Jill almost smiled.  “Thanks,” she replied.  “I…”  
  
    Her words stopped in mid-sentence when she saw the figure leaping towards them.  Her eyes widened in alarm but there had been no time to react.  The soldier’s boot connected against the back of Tweed’s head before spinning around and landing his other into her chest.  Both of them were sent sprawling across the roof; their weapons scattering.  Lying there on her back, she hadn’t even had time to orient herself before he was on top of her; a hand tightly grasping at her throat.  
  
    He was wearing Special Forces combat gear with a black tactical mask covering most of his face.  The uniform held neither insignia nor rank, making this man’s country of origin a mystery.  While his identity may have been in question, one thing was for certain… he was no Abkhazian rebel.  
  
    The grip of his hand felt as if her neck had been caught in a steel vice; stifling what chance she had at drawing in breath.  Slowly, he stood and lifted her up off the ground, dangling her like a fish on a hook.  As she tried to grasp at his hand, she quickly realized that his entire right arm was made of some sort of metal prosthetic – one that he had full use of.  Now she was afraid.  Who in the hell was he?  Jill looked down into his face, but saw only one eye staring back at her – the other was lifeless with half his face covered by scars.  
  
    “Let go of her!”  
  
    Looking past her attacker, she saw Tweed standing behind him with her shotgun pointed at his back.  With unnatural speed, he dropped her to the ground before spinning around and disarming the weapon from Tweed’s hands.  As she laid there trying to draw in breath, she looked up in time to see the soldier hit her partner in the face with the rifle butt before sending a kick to her chest.  Tweed stumbled backwards before tumbling off the roof.  
  
    **_“TWEED!”_**  
  
    With her partner in jeopardy, Jill quickly got to her feet with knife drawn.  Her enemy’s back was turned, and she wasn’t about to let the opportunity to draw first blood slip away.  Charging in, she swung towards his neck.  The soldier quickly ducked… placing himself into position for her follow up jump kick that she landed right in his face.  Going low, Jill tried to sweep his feet out from under him, but the soldier recovered faster than she had anticipated.  In a flash of movement, he had gotten in behind her and grabbed the hand which held the blade.  Twisting her body around, he loosened her grip on the hilt before once again knocking her to the ground.  
  
    The next thing she felt was the cold kiss of steel as the knife pressed against the flesh of her neck… and with it a wave of anxiety at realizing this was the end.  From the very outset of the BSAA’s formation, Jill had always been aware of the high chance of facing her end out in the field.  Both her parents along with Jackie had pleaded with her for years to leave it all behind and lead a quiet life free from danger, but she had refused.  While dangerous, the BSAA had been familiar territory… and she had needed that feeling after everything that had happened to her.  Not only had it once been her life, but Chris was a permanent figure there and had been the one thing needed more than anything else.  He was her rock – her anchor to what remained of her old life… and she loved him for it.  If only she’d had a chance to tell him how much she truly cherished him.  
  
    Closing her eyes, Jill slowed her breathing in preparation for the final cut that would spill her blood in finality.  A quick slice across her throat would be the end of it – an end to everything including the pain.  Was that really so bad?  
  
    Despite her anticipation, nothing happened.  She could still feel the blade against her skin, but the soldier hadn’t ended her yet… why?  Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw him staring back at her with his one good eye.  There was no emotion on his face – no indication of what he was thinking or what he was planning to do.  Perhaps he was merely savoring the moment before the kill.  With that, Jill began feeling a sudden surge of anger at his drawing out of her end.  
  
    “Go on,” she hissed while keeping her eyes leveled at him.  “Do it!”  
  
    Instead, the man suddenly looked up towards the sky.  That was when Jill heard the sound of a helicopter approaching from the north.  Her eyes looked upwards until she saw what he was looking for.  Materializing above them was a Hind-D gunship!  The presence of a Russian-made aircraft in Georgian airspace was a horrifyingly new development, but what eventually drew her gaze was a large, black cylinder hanging from beneath it.  
  
    The Spec Ops soldier then grabbed her uniform, forcing her to look at him.  With his face directly in front of hers, he whispered a single word.  “Anytime…”  
  
    In a flash, he let go of her and was quickly running toward the direction of the gunship as it began flying south toward the church.  When he reached the edge of the roof, he leapt nearly twenty feet into the air before grabbing the open door and hoisting himself inside.  
  
    Jill laid there for a moment in complete shock at what had just transpired.  He’d had a chance to kill her, but had instead allowed her to live.  Why?  What had he accomplished by letting her go?  
  
     With shaky legs, she pulled herself to her feet.  She was about to radio Chris when she heard a familiar voice call to her from the ledge of the building.  
  
    “Cupid?  You there?”  
  
    Running towards the location where she had seen her partner fall, she looked down to see Tweed hanging onto a cinderblock windowsill with both hands.  
  
    “Tweed!”  Already on her knees, she reached down to grab her partner’s hand.  “You’re alive!”  
  
    “It’ll take more than that to kill me, luv,” the woman replied as Jill pulled her to the safety of the roof.  As the Brit slowly got to her feet, she asked, “Where did that son of a bitch go?”  
  
    Before she could offer a reply, a panicked call came in over their headsets.  “Mayday!  Mayday!  Enemy gunship is firing on us!  We’re…!”  
  
    The transmission was followed by a scream before an explosion drew their attention toward the sky.  Jill watched helplessly as Johnson’s Blackhawk took a direct hit from one of the Hind’s missiles.  Quickly losing altitude, the helicopter went into a death spiral before crashing inside the village in an exploding ball of fire.  
  
    “Bloody hell!” Tweed cried.  
  
    The communicator quickly became a garbled mass of voices that were blending together.  Chris was desperately trying to get in contact with the helicopter crew while HQ was demanding an update on their situation.  All of it began receding into the background of her mind as Jill kept her eyes focused on the enemy gunship as it circled the crash site of its fallen prey.  Before turning back toward the north, it hovered above the town square and released the large cylinder from beneath it.  The metal object fell toward the earth and landed near the fountain.  Whatever had just been dropped, Jill knew one thing – it couldn’t be good.  This fight wasn’t over yet.  
  
    As she and Tweed made there way through the village toward the mysterious object, she would soon realize how right she was.  The large cylinder was some sort of containment pod held together in two pieces.  As the bolts popped loose, both sides fell away revealing the large creature hunched down on its knees.  
  
    Jill stopped dead in her tracks before a loud gasp escaped her.  At that moment she had wanted to scream but the breath had been taken from her lungs as she watched the outline of the monster rise to its feet.  
  
    “No…!” she whispered.  
  
    The familiar black cloak was all that she could see as her eyes fixated on the menacing creature.  Once completely erect, the BOW reared back and let out an ear-shattering roar that echoed across the entire village – a roar she would never be able to forget.  
  
    “No… not him… not him!”  
  
    Slowly, the Nemesis turned in her direction.  In its hands was a large chain gun attached to a metal box upon the creature’s back, and immediately the weapon began spooling.  Its razor-sharp teeth were oozing with saliva as its jaws opened once more.  
  
    **_“B – S – A – A!”_**  
  
    The deep voice bellowed across the divide as the chain gun pointed in her direction; preparing to rip her apart.  She should have been moving – trying to find cover or raise her own weapon to fight back.  However, the shock of having to contend with this dreaded enemy was too much for her to process and like a deer caught in a vehicle’s headlights, Jill froze.  Death had been a constant companion that had followed her for so many years.  Even today it had been nipping at her heels, demanding that she join her dead colleagues whom had already made the ultimate sacrifice.   Now it seemed that the Nemesis was prepared to finish what its predecessor hadn’t been able to – killing off one of the last two members of S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team.  
  
    Jill felt herself flying as the impact took her in the rib cage.  At first, she had believed herself hit from one of the Nemesis’ bullets until she heard the sound of high-powered steel flying over her head.  That was when she saw Tweed at her side; the woman’s arm bracing her for support as the two of them crawled toward the relative safety of a broken wall.  After managing to sit upright, her partner kneeled down next to her.  
  
    “You alright, luv?  That was bloody close!”  
  
    Jill managed a nod in return.  “I… I’m okay.”  She then turned to peek through a crack in the wall to get a better look at the area.  “Do you see any sign of the others?”  
  
    Her question was soon answered when the sounds of additional gunfire began coming from multiple positions surrounding the Nemesis.  With Viper Squad’s help, the creature ceased its assault on her position before turning its attention toward the rest of the team.  That was when Chris and Willow ducked into cover next to them.  
  
    “Chris!”  The mere mention of his name was already putting her at ease; allowing her mind the chance to pull itself away from fear and focus on what needed to come next – survival.  
  
    After confirming that both she and Tweed were alright, Chris turned back to her.  “What the hell is this thing, Jill!?”  
  
    “It’s a Nemesis, Chris!” she replied; the fear once again creeping into her voice.  “We have to get the squad out of here!”  
  
    “We’re not leaving before we kill that thing!”  
  
    Immediately, he turned in preparation to fire until she reached over and grabbed his arm.  While she trusted Chris in any battle, the man had never engaged a B.O.W. like this before.  The Nemesis had originally been created by Umbrella to be the perfect killing machine in their effort to silence the members of S.T.A.R.S. for investigating its nefarious activities in Raccoon City.  It was both ruthless and relentless… and it would kill them all before they could hurt it.  While she had no idea how another one had been created or even deployed against them, right now her focus had to be on helping Chris get his team out in one piece.  
  
    “We can’t!” she yelled to him over the sounds of battle.  “It was built to be unstoppable!  We would run out of ammo before we did any real damage to it!”  
  
    “Bloody hell!” Tweed replied.  “But that doesn’t change the fact we can’t outrun that weapon of his.  It’ll tear us to shreds before we can get ten meters!”  
  
    Sneaking a peak over the top of the wall, Chris quickly looked back for options.  “Is there anyway we can slow it down?”  
  
    Slow it down?  Jill’s mind was quickly flooded with flashbacks from Raccoon City.  After killing Brad Vickers, the monster had pursued her relentlessly during her escape.  Nothing she did could fully stop it and there was no rail cannon here to aid them.  While she had managed to stun it long enough to evade its assaults, the creature’s physiology had allowed it to regenerate in order to continue the hunt.  How could Viper Squad possibly hope to stop another one?  
  
    Tweed was also correct in her assessment – fleeing was out of the question.  Even if they could make it back to the landing zone, they would have no immediate air extraction now that the Blackhawk was destroyed.  If they attempted to retreat north across the bridge, they would be advancing into unknown territory…  
  
    _The bridge!_  Jill’s eyes widened when the idea suddenly came to her.  If they could lure the Nemesis there…  
  
    “Jill!” Chris repeated as he fired another volley at the creature.  “I need your help!  Any thoughts on how we can beat this thing?”  
  
    That was when she quickly relayed her plan.  If the rest of Viper Squad could distract the Nemesis long enough for Tweed to sprint toward the bridge, she could rig the rest of the explosives to set a trap for it.  
  
    Looking over at her partner, she asked, “Do you think you can do it?”  
  
    “You bloody bet I can!” Tweed replied.  “There should be enough C-4 left for me to do the job.”  
  
    “Then get on it,” Chris ordered.  “Willow, you go with her.  Jill, you’re with me!”  
  
    Once Chris had relayed the plan to Viper Squad, Tweed and Willow quickly exited to the north while the rest of them provided covering fire at the monster.  Once the two were safely out of range, Chris had each of them move in teams to two in order to set up choke points further north along the route to the bridge.  With four members providing covering fire from different directions while the other two moved, the Nemesis’s targeting of one position would be interrupted when turning to fire on the other.  Their attacks were confusing it, allowing for each team to move while the monster was distracted.  
  
    Pulling the trigger, the last shell ejected from her shotgun and fell to the ground, forcing Jill to switch back to her M-4.  She had three 203 shells remaining and immediately loaded one into the launcher’s chamber.  Before she could fire, Chris was grabbing her shoulder – it was their turn to move.  As they retreated back towards the next fall-back position, he stopped outside an alleyway.  
  
    “This is the perfect place to buy Tweed some more time,” he said as he reached into his backpack and pulled out a Claymore mine.  
  
     After ordering the rest of Viper Squad to fall back to the bridge, Chris began setting up the explosive trap while she knelt down to cover him.  It hadn’t taken long for the Nemesis to seek them out as it walked through the surrounding fires made from its attacks.  
  
    **_“B – S – A – A!”_** it bellowed once more as the metallic whine of its chain gun prepared to send another burst of fire in their direction.  
  
    Aiming for the creature’s weapon, Jill fired the 203 round.  The explosive detonated against her target’s chain gun, not only knocking the Nemesis off balance but also rendering its weapon useless.  
  
    A small but infectious feeling of euphoria was beginning to spread through her heart when she heard the rest of Viper Squad cheering for her.  It was enough to make her believe the words Tweed had imparted on her when it came to her role with the team – that she **_was_** one of them.  
  
    “Jill, it’s ready!” Chris yelled after he pulled the pin.  “Fall back!”  
  
    Dee-Ay was already on the radio, making sure that the rest of Viper Squad was providing covering fire for their retreat.  As the bullets began flying past them, Jill turned to see the Nemesis marching toward them in a steady and deliberate pace.  Even though it was disarmed from its primary weapon, she knew it was far from harmless.  From her previous encounter with its predecessor, it held a poisonous tentacle inside its right hand which would aid in melee combat.  
  
    Suddenly, the Claymore exploded, turning the nearby homes into splintered balls of fire… and causing their pursuer to fall to its knees.  The distraction gave both her and Chris enough time to get to the bridge just as Tweed was in the final stages of the trap.  
  
    “Everyone get back!” Chris ordered as the team took cover across the river.  Once the Nemesis rose to its feet, it continued toward their position in search of blood – and right into their trap.  Upon reaching the mid-section of the bridge, Tweed detonated the charges, causing a twenty foot section of the bridge to collapse into the river and with it the Nemesis.  While struggling amidst the debris and rushing water, it shouted at them one last time before falling over the falls in the distance.  
  
    All of them took a moment to catch their breath now that the threat had been neutralized.  They had survived, and it hadn’t taken long for Harley to begin laughing.  
  
    “Ho-ly shit!” he whooped.  “Did you guys see that some bitch fly over the falls?  Goddamn, ain’t no one can stand against Viper Squad!”  
  
    “Ah, my brother,” Shona replied with a smile, “perhaps you care to admit that a divine creator was indeed watching out for us after all, yes?”  
  
    “I’ve never taken much stock in religion there, preacher,” Harley replied as he took Shona’s hand in congratulatory praise.  “But I do know that seven other people were watching my ass out there.”  
  
    “True that,” Dee-Ay replied as he slapped the shoulders of both men.  
  
    A soldier putting his or her life on the line and living to fight another day – it was a feeling that every one of them here shared.  While the battles were terrifying in their own right, being able to survive along with your teammates was exhilarating… and soon a smile began cresting upon her lips.  Without further hesitation, Jill began laughing with the rest of them.  Survival was something to be cherished, and while they would all mourn the deaths of the BSAA’s first casualties, right now the entire ground team had survived.  That was what they would celebrate now.  All of them… but one.  
  
    Chris stood off in the distance as his gaze lingered in the direction the enemy helicopter had fled.  At first, Jill found it odd that he wasn’t with the rest of the team.  After all, he was always one to enjoy the camaraderie he shared with those under his command.  Why had he chosen to isolate himself?    
  
    Pulling herself away from the jubilation, she made her way over to him and gently laid a hand on his arm.  “Hey,” she said softly.  
  
    He’d been staring off into the distant hills and forests that made up the region’s border zone.  As soon as he heard her voice, his eyes blinked as if being pulled from deeper thoughts.  Turning to look at her, a grin began forming as his arm reached around and rested on her shoulder.  
  
    “Hey to you, too,” he replied before turning back to the view before them.  Slowly, the smile receded from his lips.  
  
    Before she could ask what was troubling him, he spoke again – this time in a more somber tone.  
  
     “It’s going to continue like this,” he said as his face took on a troubled look.  “They’re going to keep attacking these people and then retreat behind their border just like the Viet Cong did.  It’s not going to end.  There will only be more casualties… for everyone.”  
  
    “We don’t know that for sure,” Jill replied.  “Maybe this latest attack will rally the rest of the world and give the rebels pause.”  
  
    His features hardened before turning to look at her.  The comforting hand on her shoulder was quickly removed.  
  
    “You saw that gunship, Jill – it was Russian.  There’s no doubt in my mind that they’re involved in this mess.  How else would the Abkhazians have gotten a hold of biological weapons if not for them?  Where else would that Nemesis have come from?  We just don’t have the proof we need to show the rest of the world.  They won’t act unless absolutely convinced.”  
  
    His eyes closed before letting out a wounded sigh.  Her hand that had been on his arm quickly went to his shoulder.  
  
    “Chris…”  She was searching for some words to ease his burden, but he interrupted her before she could.  
  
     “You can lead Viper Squad out of here, can’t you?” he said suddenly.  Jill froze when she heard the unexpected words and immediately felt her apprehension return.  Chris must have sensed it because he then turned and rested both hands on her shoulders.  “Jill?  Can you get them back to the ship… for me?”  
  
    She couldn’t even respond to his enigmatic request.  All she could do was stare back; confusion and worry ever present in her gaze.  “Chris… what are you talking about?” she asked slowly.  
  
    He didn’t reply at first.  It had taken the question of Dee-Ay for her realize that the rest of Viper Squad had regrouped at their position.  
  
    “Should we contact the carrier for extraction, Boss?”  
  
    Chris gave her a small smile and gently squeezed her shoulders before turning to address his team.  “Yes, you should,” he replied before resting his hand on her shoulder.  “Cupid will be leading you all back to the ship.  I… have some things to do out here.”  
  
    “What the hell are you talking about, Boss?” Willow replied.  “What ‘things’?”  
  
    He responded by pointing towards the village behind them.  
  
    “You’ve all seen what these rebels are capable of and the damage they’re willing to inflict, however I don’t believe that they’re the ones behind this whole mess.  I need to go north and find proof of who’s pulling the strings in order to stop any further attacks.”  
  
    “Are you crazy?” Party Girl said as she stepped forward.  “That there’s enemy territory.  What’re you gonna do?  Waltz up to them and demand to see their weapons?  You’ll end up being executed in a shitty basement and never be heard from again!”  
  
    Chris looked around at the faces of each.  His eyes met each of theirs; his gaze full of singular purpose that would not be deterred.  
  
    “Before we entered the Black Sea, Parker and I suspected Russian involvement in this crisis.  Satellite images taken in the region showed an increase in their military presence along the mutual border.  If evidence couldn’t be found here concerning their involvement, I volunteered to scout into Abkhazian territory to find it.  Well, that Hind gunship and B.O.W. it left behind were all the evidence I needed to take a closer look and find their base of operations.  I expected your concerns on the matter and that’s exactly why I’m going alone.  Besides that…”  He took a deep breath and paused before adding, “I have a personal stake in this.  If the rebels are able to strike the capital with this type of weapon…”  His voice trailed off as he looked down.  
  
    Despite her shock concerning this developing revelation, Jill immediately understood what he was talking about.  “Claire…” she said softly.  
  
    Chris looked at her and nodded.  “My sister is heading up TerraSave’s operations within T’bilisi.”  He paused again to allow all that he had said a moment to sink in before continuing.  “Our charter allows us to work inside the borders of the Republic of Georgia.  The Georgians consider Abkhazia as a part of their country which is why…”  
  
    “That is a slippery slope, Captain Redfield,” Shona said.  “The Abkhazians see Russia as their betters.  You would have no authority to carry out any operations within their province.”  
  
    “Maybe not, but my objective still stands,” he replied.  “That’s why the rest of you are heading back to the carrier.”  
  
    The resulting argument saw the rest of Viper Squad protesting his intended actions, leading Jill to fear they would attempt to subdue him if he attempted on his course.  There had to be a way to stop that from happening.  While she was hurt and even angry over the fact that he had kept this from her, she could understand his reasoning.  His own flesh and blood was caught in the middle of a war that was none of their choosing.  
  
    The Georgian people had already bled from these attacks… as had the BSAA.  However, despite all of the doubt and questions that still lingered concerning herself and her abilities, Jill knew what it was that she had to do.  With that, she stepped forward.  
  
    “I’m going with you.”  
  
    All voices immediately quieted; their heads turning in her direction.  Without hesitation, she stood before the man whom she had pledged her future to and looked him in the eyes.  Even Chris stared back with stunned silence by her proclamation and stood there with his mouth agape.  
  
    “I’m going with you,” she repeated.  
  
    “Jill…” He stammered for a moment as if trying to find his voice through the emotions brewing within him.  “I’m not putting you or anyone else in danger over this.  I’m not going to be operating as a member of the BSAA.  I’ll be reported as rogue which will give Parker and the rest of the brass deniability when it comes to anything that happens.  This is something that **_I_** have to do… alone.”  
  
    “It’s not your choice,” she replied with a smile of comfort as her hand went to his cheek.  “Do you remember what you told me back in the village?  You said that we worked best when we’re together as a team.  I allowed myself to forget that over the years… until today.  You were right.”  
  
    His response was silence, giving her the opportunity to let him know that her decision was not up for debate.  
  
    “We’re planning on building a future together, Chris Redfield,” she continued.  “Where you go, I go – got it?”  
  
    Tears were welling within the brown eyes of her man as he stared back at her.  The smile on his lips was enough to make her heart flutter with a renewed purpose when it came to their relationship.  For too long had he given to her without any thought of reward or reciprocation.  Now, it was her turn to be the one standing up for him – to stand **_beside_** him.  
  
    Without any further ceremony his arms found their way around her with the warmth of his lips pressing against hers.  As he held her close to him, he soon turned to her ear and whispered his thoughts.  “I love you so much, Jill Valentine.”  
  
    “I love you too, Chris Redfield,” she whispered back; the sting of her own tears a welcome balm.  
  
    What they were planning to do was perhaps the riskiest of all missions they had ever embarked upon together.  They would be operating far away from the support of the BSAA as rogue agents inside enemy territory.  Some might even give name to their actions as terrorism, but they would not be deterred.  Chris was fighting for his sister, and she was fighting for him.  Together, they would see it done.  But before they could embark upon their journey’s beginning, a voice behind them spoke.  
  
    “Well, you two bleedin’ fools aren’t going alone.  I’m coming with you, too.”  
  
    Jill turned from Chris’ comforting embrace to see Tweed standing there with a smile.  “Besides… I think you may need some demolitions support before all of this is said and done.”  
  
    With a smile of her own, Jill took the woman’s extended hand and followed it with a brief camaraderie embrace.  
  
    “While your course is wrought with danger, Captain Redfield, your purpose is noble,” Shona said as he stood next to Tweed.  “I shall also accompany you toward this end.  You shall need my expertise as well I think.”  
  
    “So will I,” Dee-Ay replied as he took up position with his comrades.  
  
    “Ah, shit…” Harley groaned.  “I suppose you won’t get very far without a medic to wipe your asses along the way.  Fuck it, I’m in.”  
  
    At that moment, Jill could not have been prouder to call herself a member of Viper Squad as she witnessed the rest of the team, to include even Party Girl, voice their support.  Together, they stood as one against the growing darkness to the north  
  
    Together they stood… as a **_team_**.  
  
  
  
 

**_End of Chapter 1... Next: Chapter 2 Prologue_**            

 


	7. Chapter 2 Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still held by an unknown organization, Jill recounts the battle that took place in the Georgian mining village and what prompted Viper Squad to go rogue by invading the Province of Abkhazia

**Chapter 2 Prologue**

 

**Location: ** REDACTED ****  
 **Washington, DC**  
 **October 9th 2015**  
 **21:45 EST**  
  
  
    _Where you go I go…_  
  
    With a heavy sigh, Jill stared at the large two-way mirror that held the empty shell of her reflection.  Those fated words had been spoken as a trusted bond between two friends… two **_partners_** who cared deeply about each another.  Now, all they could do was stand as a brutal testament to everything she had lost.  
  
    To be honest, she’d had reservations once Chris announced his intentions to the team but even through those concerns, her support of him hadn’t wavered.  After all, what kind of partner would she be if she hadn’t backed him when he needed her most?  However, hindsight was always a luxury that could be afforded **_after_** fate had run its course.  At the time there’d been no way of knowing the full extent of the consequences as a result of their actions.  If only she had known then what the true cost would be… of what would have to be sacrificed.  Would any of it have influenced her to make a different choice?  
  
    With that question her eyes began to sting with familiar pain.  
  
    “Jill?”  
  
    Her thoughts were interrupted to the sound of her name.  Turning around, she saw Carlos motion his hand toward a pitcher of ice water sitting on the table.  
  
    “Would you care for something to drink?” he asked gently.  
  
    For the past hour she’d been recounting the events of Viper Squad’s first contact with enemy forces inside the mining village.  That confrontation had led to the entire team going “off the grid” to conduct a recon sortie into Abkhazia.  The memories of that heart-pounding battle had been enough to sustain her, but now that she had a moment to pause and assess her needs, Jill quickly realized how thirsty she was.  With a small smile of gratitude, she took her seat and allowed Carlos to fill the glass.  
  
    The cold liquid upon her lips was enough to bring her mind back into focus… along with her current circumstances.  Regardless of Carlos’ presence, the fact remained that she was still being held here by an unknown organization.  Worse… she had no idea what they **_really_** wanted from her.  
  
    At the start of this interview, she’d been silently guessing as to who was ultimately pulling the strings here.  Was it truly the CIA as Agent Winston had alluded to earlier… or was this something else?  One anomaly had stood out though – Carlos.  While she hadn’t heard from him after they’d parted ways, he didn’t strike her as the type of man who would take up the life of a government spook.  That meant some sort of “shadow” agency operating off the books.  But even if her assumptions were true, it still brought her back to the initial question – what was she doing here?  
  
    Carlos soon finished writing down the last of her information and set down the pen.  
  
    “Nemesis…” he whispered with genuine sympathy.  Of all the people she had worked with in her life, the man sitting across from her was one of the few who could appreciate the horror that one word invoked.  “My God, Jill.  After everything we went through to destroy the one in Raccoon… For you to have to kill another one…”  He stopped and shook his head.  
  
    That was when her mind flashed back to the roar of the chanting crowd… of the tentacle wrapping around Chris’ neck…  Closing her eyes, Jill looked down at her hands that were folded in her lap.  
  
    “Were it so easy,” she replied.  “But it was an obstacle that had to be eliminated if we were going to find out who was behind all of the attacks.”  
  
    “The Russians?” he asked.  
  
    She nodded.  “That was who we suspected when that Hind gunship showed up; although we had no hard evidence to support it.”  
  
    “And back in the village,” he replied, bringing the conversation back to the battle, “this was your first contact with both the “infected” and the Abkhazian rebels, correct?”  
  
    “Yes,” Jill replied.  “The villagers there had been exposed to a more potent form of the virus used in the capital attack a few days prior.”  She then recalled what had happened after blasting the one rebel’s head in half only to see a plaga-like appendage sprout up from the remains.  “As for the rebels… I was initially surprised to see that they were implanted with a parasite.  After all, they hadn’t acted like wild savages as described in both the Kennedy or Redfield reports.  Their attacks were too coordinated.”  
  
    Again, Carlos jotted down her observation before looking back up at her.  
  
    “Jill, I have to ask – why did you agree to go with Captain Redfield into Abkhazia?  I realize that he was your fiancé… but you had to have known that type of move was against the BSAA’s mission.   ** _That_** was why he ordered you and the rest of the squad back to the _Alexander Graham_ wasn’t it?”  
  
    He then clasped his hands together and leaned forward like a prosecutor making his case.  
  
    “I can understand his reasons for doing so, but why did _**you**_ go along?”  
  
    “Why wouldn’t I?” she quickly replied with a shrug of her shoulders.  
  
    Another curve ball to throw… and one that seemed to hit its mark.  Carlos stared back at her blankly; the bewildered look on his face betraying his thoughts concerning her flippant response.  
  
    “I… I don’t understand,” he replied as he shook his head.  “You’re a rational woman.   You had to have known…”  
  
    Whether he intended it or not, he was beginning to patronize her.  For too long she’d put up with that type of bullshit from her BSAA counterparts and just as quickly the familiar surge of pent-up anger was bringing itself to the surface.  
  
    “Don’t presume that you know **_everything_** about me, Carlos,” she said coolly before leveling her eyes at him in warning.  “True, we spent a few days together surviving that nightmare back in Raccoon, but that doesn’t mean that you **_know_** me.”  
  
    Leaning back in her chair, Jill crossed her arms in annoyance.  
  
    “I don’t know what **_you’ve_** been doing since we parted ways, but **_I_** continued the fight against Umbrella… and Chris was with me every step of the way.  He was the only one who stood beside me after I was shunned by those I thought were my friends.  You’re asking me how I could have gone with him into enemy territory knowing the risks?  Simple – because **_he_** did it for **_me_**.”  
  
    She’d read his report from Africa during her search for answers into her missing years.  While most of it had contained details he’d already shared with her, he **_hadn’t_** told her that he’d gone against orders.   He and Sheva had been ordered by HQ to pull out of the region, but he’d refused – all because he had to find her.  He’d always been stubborn like that – a selfless trait of his that she had grown to love.  His passion was full of a fierce determination that could motivate any member of his team to do the impossible.  
  
    Jill took another silent breath in an effort to brace herself against the tide of emotions threatening to take hold of her.  While her retort was genuine with frustration born of circumstance, there was another reason for doing so – she wanted to get some idea of who Carlos was working for.  Perhaps it was a bit under-handed to goad a former ally, but her actions would quickly bear fruit.  
  
    “We all contributed to the fight in our own way, Jill,” he replied.  “My employers brought me on shortly after Raccoon City to aid them in dismantling Umbrella.”  
  
    Finally, a small piece to the puzzle had been revealed.  
  
    “‘Dismantling’?”  That word had been used by the news outlets on multiple occasions concerning the US Government’s response to the global pharmaceutical conglomerate’s actions.  “So you’re a part of the government then?”  
  
    Carlos must have realized his faux pas because his eyes widened in surprise before turning away.  
  
    “I… I said more than I should have… at least for the moment.  I promise you that more will be revealed, but they’re still not sure about you yet.”  
  
    “Why not?” she asked with frustration building in her voice.  “What more could I possibly give them that they can’t ready in a report?”  
  
    “Because those documents lack one very important aspect that can’t be reflected in written words – emotion.  The only way to truly experience an event is to hear it from the mouths of those who survived it.”  He then paused and leaned forward.  “Trust me, Jill – I know exactly how you’re feeling right now.  Confusion… even anger – all of it were things that I felt when I was in your place.  I was in a room not unlike this one when they had me recount everything that happened back in Raccoon… of what **_we_** went through.”  
  
    He wasn’t lying to her – not about that.  His face was telling her everything, and she immediately regretted her actions.  “I suppose you did… I’m sorry.”  
  
    “I’m not your enemy Jill.  Please know that,” he replied as he lifted his hands up like he had done earlier.  “My employers want to hear the rest of your story from your own lips… and I think that deep down you want to tell it – that you **_need_** to tell it.”  
  
    Perhaps turnabout was fair play because now it was his turn to hit a nerve.  Still, what he’d said held merit.  This job had been her entire life and in all that time she’d only been able to find solace with Chris as her shoulder to cry on.  After her departure from the BSAA, she had bottled up her emotions inside and isolated herself from everyone – even becoming a stranger to her own family.  She was depressed – that much she already knew.  But how could her mother, father, or even Jackie possibly relate to the experiences or the suffering she’d endured?  How could she talk to them about what Wesker had done to her… or what had happened to Chris?  No… she couldn’t place that type of burden on them.  
  
    Now in an unexpected twist, Carlos was presenting her with an opportunity for a sense of closure.  Would she be the fool for not embracing it… or would she be the fool if she did?  There was only one way to find out.  
  
    Closing her eyes, Jill let out a deep sigh of acceptance before looking back at him.  “Perhaps you’re right, Carlos.  We’ll continue… for now.”  
  
    She knew that his betters were observing their conversation.  Her little caveat was to let them know that her voluntary cooperation would be directly tied to what they could give her in return – answers.  And they had better be damned good ones.  
  
    Carlos nodded in understanding before picking up where they had left off and soon brought their conversation back to Abkhazia. The team’s decision to follow Chris into hostile territory was clearly the topic this organization was most interested in… and for good reason.  Regardless of their reasons, what Viper Squad had found had been **_the_** defining moment in the BSAA’s campaign.  It was a moment that would start a chain of events that would consume everyone involved… and lead to a horrifying truth that would hit close to home.  
  
    While the rest of the world had seen the Abkhazians as rebels who had turned to biological terrorism, they had uncovered evidence of what was **_really_** going on inside the way-ward province.  Now was the time to unmask the real culprits behind the conflict, including those who had hid themselves within the shadow of betrayal.  
  
    For it would be their treachery that would lead to the downfall of the BSAA.  
  


  
**_Next: Chapter 2-1: Contact_**            


	8. Chapter 2-1: Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After going rogue, Chris Redfield has led Viper Squad into the Province of Abkhazia. Their mission - find evidence of Russian involvement in the Georgian Crisis to present to the United Nations. However, the team will soon discover in horrifying detail what is really happening inside the rebel province.

**Chapter 2-1: Contact**

 

**Village of Bagapsh**  
 **20 Miles Inside the Abkhazian Border**  
 **September 12th 2015**  
 **15:52 GDT**  
 **  
  
**It was now day three of their mission.  The previous two had seen a hard march over the endless hills and forests that covered the Abkhazian landscape in pursuit of their only lead – the Hind gunship that had attacked them in Georgia.  After crossing the border, the last satellite images they had been able to download placed it in a remote village roughly twenty miles away.  Why it had chosen to stop at such an isolated location was anyone’s guess, but hopefully after a little reconnaissance, it would quickly lead them to the evidence they sought.  The last thing they needed was to be discovered this deep inside enemy territory.  For now, stealth was on their side.  
  
    Looking over at Chris, Jill felt another pang of regret and knew that he did too.  Neither of them had liked the idea of leaving Parker and the rest of the brass in the dark concerning their status.  After losing the Blackhawk, their boss had been desperately trying to raise them on the radio for a SITREP.  Instead of responding, Chris had made the decision that no contact would be given.  If the BSAA’s radio signals were being monitored, it would put the entire mission in jeopardy.  But as they pushed further into enemy territory, those long-distance communications and their satellite uplink had eventually ceased transmitting.  At first they had believed it to be the work of the BSAA, but surprisingly all of their short-range radios were still working.  The only other explanation was that the Abkhazians had deployed some sort of jamming technology which was interfering with long-range transmissions.  
  
    _Damn it!_ she though bitterly to herself.  Viper Squad’s original purpose was to be the BSAA’s forward observers in the region.  What they were doing now was a violation of their original mandate.  Chris was trying to play it loose with the fluid Georgian border situation, but Shona had been right.  They were treading on some serious “grey area” with their presence here.  
  
    Another important fact was that they had also been the first ones to come in contact with the “infected” villagers along with the plaga-controlled rebels.  The information they had uncovered would no doubt be crucial to BSAA’s efforts in combating this threat effectively.  Would it have hurt them to have given Parker a brief update before ceasing all communication?  
  
    With a sigh, Jill shook her head.  There were too many “what ifs”.  She couldn’t control any of that now – all she could do was be an effective member of this team and make sure that everyone got back to the _Alexander Graham_ alive.  That was at least something she **_could_** control.  Regardless of her feelings or doubts, she was fully committed to this course of action.  It was best to stay focus on that.  
  
    However, the decision to follow her fiancé wasn’t the only thing bothering her.  Ever since they had pressed on from Georgian territory, her mind was constantly replaying the moment when she’d been at the mercy of the man with the metal arm.  He’d had her under the knife and was ready to kill her… but in some strange twist he had let her live.  She couldn’t comprehend it – why had he spared her?  
  
    She’d been no stranger to death.  It had always been a familiar presence that tugged at her with every turn.  From zombies to monsters and back again, there’d been a constant sense of urgency concerning her mortality.  But to actually **_feel_** death… to know it was only a second away… and to look into the eye of the man preparing to send her there – it was a horrible experience that even the dreaded Nemesis couldn’t top.  
  
    Closing her eyes, Jill took another deep breath in an attempt to re-orient her thoughts.  Much like her earlier concerns about her presence here, she had to suck this up.  Chris needed her… and she was not about to let him down.  
  
    Her thoughts were interrupted when a sudden scream pierced the woods.  With the march suddenly halted, Jill shifted her focus in the direction of the sound.  Looking out into the distance, smoke could be seen rising from the other side of a hill… and in the exact location of their objective!  
  
    “Contact!” Chris whispered as he motioned Viper Squad into formation.  
  
    Each of them quickly paired up with their respective partner and began a “leap-frog” sprint towards the hill.  Chris and Willow took the lead on the left side while she and Tweed took right.  Once they had advanced twenty yards, they stopped and allowed their backups consisting of Party Girl/Dee-Ay and Shona/Harley to move forward and take their place, ensuring that each team advancing would have covering fire.  
  
    Another scream quickly followed.  While the last had been born of terror, this one sounded as if its owner was being attacked!  Chris wasted no time and ordered the team forward.  As they crested the next ridge, Jill soon heard the sound of growls mixed with the tearing of flesh and clothing.  The scream had fallen silent, giving way to a macabre scene.  Five wild dogs were tearing into the remains of a woman’s body like frenzied demons.  The crimson red of her blood had soaked the entire area, giving the grass a coppery glow in the light of the sun.  
  
    Her companions stood there along side of her; all of them transfixed by what they were witnessing.  Already they had seen an incredible amount of death in their short time here, but to once again arrive too late to offer any type of aid…  It was another crushing blow to morale.  
  
    Harley was the first to verbalize their frustration.  “You fucking animals!  Get away from there!”  
  
    Two of the dogs turned in their direction and barred their teeth in preparation to defend their kill.  While the muzzles and throats of all were coated in the victim’s blood, Jill could see even more pouring from their eyes, ears, and noses.  There was no way of knowing how it had happened, but these animals were infected with the same virus that had been used in the mining village attack!  Chris had seen the same thing and quickly gave orders for Viper Squad to open fire.  A few well-placed shots and five more bodies lay amidst the carnage.  
  
    There would be no time to rest as additional screams echoed from the valley below.  Looking down, they saw the smoky remains of a burnt-out village in the distance.  Jill traded a glace with Chris and recognized the determination in his eyes.  If there were still people who could be saved then they had act – **_they_** had to help.  That principle was the cornerstone of the BSAA.  
  
    “Let’s go,” he ordered.  
  
    Retaining their current strategy, Viper Squad advanced down the hill in the direction of the village.  The smoke from the dying fires had saturated the entire area in a grayish fog, limiting their visibility.  That posed new dangers for what lay ahead and in an effort to compensate for it, Jill ordered Harley and Shona to tighten up the right flank so she could keep them in view.  The last thing any of them needed was a friendly fire incident.  Once they had reached the entrance to the village, Chris took his team and moved off to the left while she took hers right.  They had practiced this maneuver in training – push in from either side and meet in the middle in order to confuse and ultimate flank the BOWs.  
  
    With her team hurtling over a fence, they quickly came across their first targets.  The dog had only enough time to turn around before she put a three-round burst into its skull.  Tweed followed in from behind and quickly dispatched a second that had materialized from the ashen shell of a home.  With Shona and Harley keeping the flank secure, they continued pushing forward while eliminating all threats in their path.  
  
    Once they had advanced past the initial contact zone, Jill saw the remains of several bodies lying out in the open.  With her heart constricting over the fact that they had already been savaged by the dogs, she also noticed something else… something even more horrifying.  All of them had been shot in the head!  A shiver quickly enveloped her at this unexpected find.  Not only had this village been razed to the ground, but now they were finding dead bodies as well?  What in the hell had happened here?  Who had done all of this?  The screams up ahead soon reminded her of the situation’s urgency, and so she led her group on.  Her questions could wait for now.  After they secured the survivors, she could then inform Chris of the grisly find.  
  
    The cries for help were getting closer and after turning the corner on a narrow dirt path, Jill saw several more dogs surrounding a small hut.  All of them were barking – the scent of prey working them up into a killing frenzy.  Whoever was inside the tiny structure must have still been alive.  
  
    Wasting no time, Jill quickly took point and ordered her team into a line.  After firing the first shot, the rest joined in and a few seconds later, the remaining dogs were dead.  With the threat neutralized, she remained in the lead during their advance towards the hut.  Once this zone was secured, they could wait in anticipation for Chris’ arrival.  However, just as they pushed into the open, the sounds of more growling filled the air.  Jill felt her blood run cold upon realizing she had led her team right into an ambush!  
  
    “Bloody hell!” Tweed exclaimed.  “Did these mongrels set a trap for us?”  
  
    “Looks that way,” Jill replied.  “Everybody stay sharp and call out any contacts you find!”  
  
    The dashing of feet were coming from the north.  Harley soon called out the first contact, focusing everyone’s attention towards the new attackers.  Jill was just about to fire off a shot when she heard more growling coming from their flank… and it was growing louder!  Turning around, she had just enough time to see another canine right as it lunged for her, the force of the impact knocking her to the ground.  
  
    “Cupid!” Tweed yelled.  But before her partner could offer any help, Shona was warning her of additional contacts that were materializing behind them.  
  
    Lying there with the beast on top of her, Jill knew that she was on her own in this fight.  Despite its size, the beast’s strength was incredible and it was all she could do to keep its bloodied jaws away from her face.  There was no chance in retrieving her M4 as it had landed just outside of arms reach.  That was when she made the move for her combat knife.  
  
    With her left forearm bracing under the animal’s neck, she pulled the blade free and shoved it into it’s eye.  A loud howl of pain erupted but the canine refused to pause from its current attack.  Pulling the knife free, she tried again but still it refused to give any ground.  Before she could try once more, the animal suddenly flew off of her with a yelp as if it had taken a blow to its body.  Looking up, she saw Chris aiming his rifle before letting loose a burst of fire to cut it down.  When he turned back to her, he extended his hand and she took it.  
  
    “Thanks for that,” she said as he pulled her to her feet.  
  
    “Good thing we got here in time.  You okay?” he asked as he took a look at her.  
  
    “I’m fine, Chris,” she replied with a reassuring smile.  While the dog had tried its best to ravage her, she had managed to keep it from inflicting any wounds.  
  
    After confirming the status of the rest of Viper Squad, Chris subsequently ordered Harley and Dee-Ay to secure the hut.  With Harley taking point, he took two steps forward before sending a swift kick into the door, knocking it inward.  On the other side, huddled in the corner, was a terrified woman clutching two young children against her.  As soon as they saw the two men, all three immediately began shrieking in terror.  That was when Jill realized that it was up to her to do something.  These people were the only chance they had at finding out what had happened here.  
  
   “Lower your weapons!” she chastised on her approach to the hut.  “Can’t you see that they’re frightened?”  
  
    Harley was quick enough to back away.  The look on his face betrayed his shame at terrifying the mother and her family.  Dee-Ay however, wasn’t so quick to move.  
  
    “We can’t be too careful, ma’am,” he replied in an even tone.  “Remember that we’re on our own out here.”  
  
    Tensions were beginning to rise.  For the past three days, they had been marching relentlessly towards this destination.  All of them were tired and after the brief skirmish against the infected dogs, nerves were beginning to fray as well.  Fortunately, Chris came to her defense before things escalated.  
  
    “Dee-Ay, Harley – step back and let Cupid handle this.”  
  
    With the threatening elements removed, Jill knew she had to try and salvage this situation if she was going to earn the trust of these people.  Kneeling down in the entryway of the hut, she slowly extended her hand.  
  
    “It’s alright,” she said in flawless Georgian.  “We’re here to help.  Are any of you injured?”  
  
    The frightened trio didn’t respond.  From the smell of the hut and the gaunt look on the children’s faces, it was a safe bet that none of them had eaten or slept in days.  Considering the devastation this village had already suffered, it was a miracle that anyone had survived this long.  
  
    A long moment had passed before the woman slowly looked up and made eye contact.  Although there was genuine hesitation in her eyes, she finally spoke.  “You… you are not… Russian?”  
  
   Jill raised her eyebrows at the unexpected question.  “No, I’m not,” she replied gently.  “Are they the ones who did this?”  
  
    The woman nodded slowly and after some gentle probing, began telling her everything that had happened.  Two days prior had seen Abkhazian soldiers arrive by truck and had been immediately reinforced by a Russian helicopter.  From what little the woman had been able to see, there had been a Russian general ordering the Abkhazians to round up all the villagers in the town square.  Before they had come to her home, her husband had managed to hide both her and the children under the floorboards in order to keep them safe from view.  It was during that time when she had heard shouting followed by gunshots and then… silence.  After hiding there for over a day, the fires in the village had eventually forced them to flee.  That was when they had come across another survivor on their journey south.  They had been trying to find their way to a neighboring village before a large pack of wild dogs had set upon them, forcing them to return.  During the confusion, they had gotten separated from the other woman and had only managed to make it to the hut before being attacked.  
  
    Just as she finished, the woman began to break down in sobs.  Apparently, her husband had been one of the men who’d been shot before the soldiers had left.  
  
    Once Jill had relayed the information to Chris, he shook his head.  “The Russians… so they **_are_** involved in all of this.  Can she tell us where they were headed?”  
  
    It had already taken quite a bit of effort to coax the small family out of the hut. After giving them her water canteen, Jill turned to her fiancé.  She knew that finding the location of the helicopter was a priority but with a crying mother and two small children, interrogating them for information was probably not the best thing to do.  
  
    “Chris, this woman is traumatized by everything she’s been through.  If we push her too hard, she could shut down and refuse to help us.”  
  
    Dee-Ay then approached and stood next to Chris.  “Boss, we can’t take these people with us.  We’re deep inside enemy territory on an un-sanctioned mission.  Their mere presence would put Viper Squad in unnecessary danger.”  
  
     “Then what is it that you propose we do, Dee-Ay?” Shona replied.  “Shall we leave them to be slaughtered by the infected beasts that roam these lands?  You may as well kill them yourself.  It would be a small mercy than proposing such barbarity.  We are supposed to be helping these people.”  
  
    “Y’all are forgettin’ that our mission is to help the **_Georgian_** people there, doc,” Party Girl said in defense of her partner.  “I for one ain’t too keen on helpin’ terrorists.”  
  
    “Are you fucking kidding me, Fowler?”  Harley replied with genuine frustration at her comment.  “Do these people look like goddamned terrorists to you?”  
  
    The full dynamic of Chris’ team was beginning to show, giving Jill more insight into these men and women than she could ever find in a case file.  While Dee-Ay had volunteered for this mission, he was an objective-oriented individual who wanted to complete the task at hand with the least amount of risk possible.  While she didn’t agree with his current assessment, she had to respect his intentions.  He was looking out for his teammates after all.  Shona was a scientist – a man who worked for the betterment of the world.  His response didn’t surprise her.  No, the man who continually surprised her was Harley.  While tough on the outside with a vocabulary to match, he was actually quite a compassionate individual when it came to the innocent victims left in the wake of war.  She’d seen it show after the battle in the mining village and was witnessing it again now.  As for Fowler… well, the woman was just a bitch… period.  It was unlikely that the two of them would ever see eye to eye on anything.  Thankfully, Chris had kept them separated for the most part.  But no matter what its make up, Jill knew that each member of Viper Squad would follow their captain’s orders regardless of preference.  That was what made them professionals – the best the BSAA had to offer.  
  
    The debate was abruptly halted however, at the sound of weapons cocking.  Jill immediately got to her feet; her rifle at the ready in order to make a stand with the rest of her teammates.  That was when she found a group of roughly twenty people on a ridge directly above their position.  To her surprise, these men weren’t dressed as soldiers.  They were all in civilian clothing, giving the impression that they were some sort of militia as their armaments were older weapons – AK-47s, pump-action shotguns, hunting rifles… even bows and arrows.  
  
    An older man with a stocky build and close-cropped white hair stepped forward near the ledge and spoke a command, leading Chris to ask her what he was saying.  
  
    “He wants us to drop our weapons,” she replied.  
  
    This was the exact situation they had hoped to avoid – coming into contact with armed Abkhazian civilians.  The BSAA’s presence here was tantamount to an act of war which was why Chris had each of them remove all patches and any other identifiable insignia from their clothing and weapons before leaving Georgia.  While that would provide cover for their organization if the mission went bust, it now left Viper Squad in a precarious position.  With no official backup, they would be seen as nothing more than a marauding band of men and women whom these locals would most likely believe had destroyed this village.  
  
    Party Girl was the first to respond.  “Tell you what, sugar,” she said with her sniper rifle raised.  “I’ll relinquish one bullet.  Where d’ya want it?”  
  
    Behind them appeared another group; this one comprising of nearly two dozen additional men and women who slowly began to encircle the team with their weapons drawn.  All bets were off now as Viper Squad answered in kind.  That was when the shouting began.  Their leader again demanded that they drop their weapons while Chris attempted to have her translate that they weren’t a threat and were only here to offer assistance.  The tension only continued to rise with neither side willing to back down.  This was a dangerous slope and they were all sliding ever closer to the abyss.  Viper Squad was outnumbered at least four to one and if even a single shot was fired…  
  
    Suddenly, the young mother leapt to her feat and screamed for all of them to stop.  Chris’ eyes met hers, and Jill quickly motioned for him to wait as the woman began explaining to the armed group what had happened.  From her speech it became apparent that these people were known to her.  She then pointed at Jill and told them that she and her teammates had saved both her and her children from certain death; concluding that Viper Squad was indeed comprised of friends… and not enemies.  It was the lifeline they had all needed to defuse this situation.  
  
    After the woman had finished, confusion began sweeping the militia’s ranks as each member began murmuring to one another about what should be done.  Their leader then called for silence before asking Chris who they were and what they were doing here.  However, before he could answer, another voice joined the conversation.  
  
    “Father…”  This came from a young man with dark hair who had materialized from behind their position.  The surprise came that not only was he addressing the leader, but he was also speaking in English.  “Is it not obvious who these people are?  They are members of the BSAA.”  
  
    Jill inwardly cringed at the declaration and for a long moment no one spoke.  It was as if the world itself had gone silent.  
  
    Chris was the first to lower his weapon and signaled the rest of them to do the same.  “I’m afraid I’m at a loss,” he replied.  “How is it that you knew that?”  
  
    The young man smiled.  “There are some of us in Abkhazia who know what is happening outside the borders of our province… especially with our southern neighbor.  So that leaves us with a very important question – what is the BSAA doing this far north?”  
  
    This was again dangerous territory to be in.  Originally, the plan had been to steer clear of populated areas in their search for the gunship, but the surprise encounter with the infected dogs had changed all of that.  Worse, the young man had already out-ed them as agents with the BSAA – however that was only partially true.  If the full truth was known about their status, Jill wasn’t sure what these people would do.  But after what the young mother had already explained, an idea soon came to her – perhaps she needed to look at this situation from another angle… and with the focus placed elsewhere.  
  
    Before Chris could respond, she stepped forward.  “We’re here on a reconnaissance mission,” she began.  “Our team was attacked by a Russian Hind inside of Georgian airspace, killing two of our pilots.  We tracked its movements here and found this…”  She motioned to the devastation around them.  “Our main objective is to obtain physical evidence of Russia’s involvement in the biological attacks against Georgia and bring it to the United Nations.”  
  
    The young man stared back at her for moment before finally signaling his compatriots to lower their weapons.  “If your intention is to find evidence incriminating our Russian betters, then perhaps we can help one another towards a common goal.”  
  
    Jill’s eyes widened in surprise – these people were willing to help them?  Initially, she had only wanted to diffuse the situation so the team could walk away unscathed, however the unexpected offer seemed almost too good for them to pass up.  Besides, they had no way of knowing which direction the helicopter had flown off to now that their satellite uplink was gone.  Perhaps coming into contact with these locals had been an unexpected boon.  
  
    “My name is Victor Kvitsiani,” he said in way of introduction as he and Chris shook hands.  “If you are willing to help us, then perhaps we can help you in finding the location of your Russian gunship.  I invite you all to come with us to our headquarters.”  When he noticed their hesitation, he attempted to reassure them.  “You may keep your weapons with you, my friends.  You are not the only ones fighting against the Russians.  Come… and I will explain what is really happening in our province.”  
  
    With no other options available, Chris agreed to the request.  The militia then split off into two groups – Kvitsiani and his men escorting Viper Squad to their northern base while his father, Boris, lead the other group west.  On the way, Chris began asking questions concerning the identity of these people and why they were offering to help a BSAA unit in Abkhazia.  
  
    Victor began by explaining that he and the other members of his militia were comprised of various civilians whose villages had also been attacked and burned in the same manner as Bagapsh.  Apparently, these “reapings” as he referred to them happened to remote villages that were part of Abkhazia’s ethnic minorities.  He went on to explain that ever since the “liberation” of the region in 2008, Russian armed forces had given ethnic Georgians a difficult time in terms of harassment or theft.  However, it had been only recently when the attacks had escalated to their current level.  Victor’s village had been one of the first to be hit by both Abkhazian and Russian forces.  During the initial assault, he and his father had managed to escape along with several others and formed an underground resistance to help spare other villages from the same fate.  
  
    This stunning revelation flew in the face of everything the BSAA thought they knew when it came to the province.  All this time they had believed that the Abkhazian people were fully united in their cause to attack Georgia, but this fratricide was something they hadn’t been prepared for.  Chris was the first to express the horror they all felt.  
  
    “Jesus…” he replied.  “We had no idea the extent of the brutality here.  We believed that Abkhazia itself was behind the terror attacks.”  
  
    Victor spat in response.  “My friend, it is quite obvious that none of you know what is happening here.  While many native Abkhazians do willingly follow the Russians, there are many minorities who do not… and those are the ones whom our masters are targeting.  Unfortunately, their jamming devices have blocked all long-range communication in the region which not only makes contacting other groups impossible, but it also prevents us from expressing our plight to the rest of the world.  We have agreed to help you because you are the only chance we have in telling the international community the truth.”  
  
    If what Kvitsiani said was true, this was a new form of ethic cleansing that hadn’t been seen in Europe since Kosovo.  Jill tried to ask more questions concerning the “reapings”, but Victor was unable to provide any additional information.  In fact, all of the members of the militia pretty much echoed the same details – the Russians and Abkhazians would attack a remote location, take most of the populous with them as prisoners, kill the rest, and then burn the village.  And there was one more horrifying detail – all of the children were among those killed.  
  
    Jill certainly wanted to see the evidence for herself and knew that Chris did, too.  From the moment they had entered the Black Sea, all of them had believed the initial intelligence briefings concerning the biological attacks.  Now they were learning some shocking information that lent even more urgency to their current mission.  With no way to contact the fleet, they would need to obtain hard evidence quickly in order to prevent any further loss of life.  
  
    Two hours later had seen the sun set on the distant horizon – the deep reds and oranges providing a pleasant distraction from the heavy thoughts each of them was carrying.  Fortunately, their host informed them that their intended destination was just up ahead.  Once they crested the next hill, the remnants of a village greeted them.  From what the young mother had told her, this was all that remained of Victor’s home.  
  
    Dozens of campfires were spread all throughout the ruins surrounded by those displaced from Abkhazia’s internal conflict.  There had to be over two hundred people here from all walks of life – men, women… even children.  Each of them watched cautiously as Viper Squad made its way into the village but no words were spoken.  Perhaps the fact that they were still armed while being escorted by one of their leaders was enough to placate them.  
  
    “Welcome to Ankvab, my friends,” Victor said as he motioned toward the ruins.  “Please see to getting yourselves some supper from our mess tent.  We do not have much but what we do have, we share equally.”  He then looked over at Chris.  “Captain Redfield, if I could have a moment please.”  
  
    Chris nodded and then turned to her.  “Jill, see to it that the team gets some chow and a place to crash for the night.  We’ll pick up the trail in the morning.”  
  
    After being on the move for three days straight, it was a welcome relief to be able to take a breather even if it was just for the night.  Apparently, Victor hadn’t been understating things when he told them that his people didn’t have much in the way of food.  When they had finally found their way to the make-shift cooking tent, dinner consisted of a meager portion of soup containing bits of meat – no doubt from the discarded deer carcass lying nearby.  At least the meal was hot; the first one they’d had since landing in-country.  
  
    The outskirts of the village provided the team a remote place in which to set up camp and soon they had a fire going to dispel the night’s cold.  At first, their meal was consumed in silence before giving way to small talk – most of it revolving around what they had witnessed today.  The horrific events in Bagapsh coupled with Victor’s story had hit a nerve with all of them; renewing interest in the success of their current mission.  
  
    Jill sat there as a silent participant and just listened to her teammates converse.  The concerns of the day were still present, but eventually the topics shifted towards a more personal tone.  Most of the members of Viper Squad had never worked with their current teammates until this mission and it was heartening to hear them bonding together.  A part of her wanted to join in, but fatigue was beginning to gain the upper hand.  Soon enough, she tucked her knees to her chest and rested her head upon them.  As the chatter faded to the background, her gaze turned toward the dancing flames of the fire as they reached up toward the darkening sky.  The warmth emanating from it was a soothing balm… like curling up in a warm blanket after a long day.  
  
    All of a sudden, she felt a drop of rain splash against her cheek.  More soon followed and eventually it began running down the hood of her cloak.  A flash of lightning lit up the night’s sky followed by a crack of thunder.  Despite the rain, the fires in the village continued to burn bright in defiance of the storm.  
      
    She was hunting.  Three of them had already been felled – the fourth was to be brought back alive.  Those were her orders, and she would see them through.  
  
    A sound of movement quickly caught her attention – her quarry was on the move.  Reaching up, she undid the clasp across her shoulders and tossed the cloak aside.  In a dash, she sprinted across the roves at an incredible speed, leaping from one to the next without missing a beat.  This is what she had been trained for.  This… was her purpose.  
  
    Just as she had anticipated, her prey had been spooked by the sudden move.  After being lured out from hiding, her target attempted to flee across the open area of the town square.  Leaping into the air, she flew across the divide and landed directly in the path of her quarry.  The young woman shrieked before trying to turn in the opposite direction.  With her foot planted, she spun and sent a swift kick into the woman’s back, knocking her to the ground.  All that had been left to do was zip-tie her ankles and wrists before carrying her back to the rendezvous point.  
  
    As expected, the helicopter was waiting for her arrival and almost immediately the familiar dark-clad figure stepped forth from the shadows.  Even with the sunglasses on, she could see the red flame of his eyes bearing down on her; his sadistic grin full of satisfaction.  After forcing the woman to kneel, she stood at attention to await further command.  
  
    “It seems that your pet has accomplished her task, comrade.”  This had come from a shadowy figure in the background.  
  
    “Your team has done well, General,” Wesker replied as he approached her and slowly undid the zipper to her battle suit, revealing the red object that had been harnessed into her chest.  Her entire body trembled at the touch as if knowing the act should invoke disgust.  “Her resistance to the device appears to have finally diminished.  Now there is only one final test for my protégé.”  
  
    Placing the gun in her hand, he immediately spun her around and pulled her back against his body.  His hand was at her chin, cradling it in a sadistically tender way before forcing her to look down at the helpless captive.  
  
    “Jill,” he whispered against her ear, “now is the time to prove yourself to me.”  He then released her and pointed down.  “Do it.”  
  
    The woman was sobbing… begging for her life.  Slowly, Jill raised the weapon, but her resolve was weakening.  Somehow she knew that she shouldn’t be doing this and immediately her hand began to tremble.  
  
    Wesker had seen it.  “Do it!” he ordered more forcefully, “and take your place at my side!”  
  
    Her finger was on the trigger.  
  
    “Jill!” A voice was calling to her.  
  
    “Do it!” Wesker repeated.  
  
    She squeezed the trigger… and the gunshot echoed across the divide.  
  
    A piercing scream soon filled the night as she fell onto her back.  Hands were grasping her arms, trying to hold her down.   _No!_ She was writhing in a panic born from fear.   _I won’t let him take me!  Not again!_  
  
    “Jill, wake up!”  
  
    The familiar voice called to her again.   _Chris…?_  Although she continued to flail, her eyes opened and began to focus… and then she recognized where she was.  Chris was at her side along was Tweed.   ** _They_** were the ones who had been restraining her.  With that realization, she ceased her struggle.  
  
    “Help me sit her up,” Chris said with noticeable concern in his voice, and they helped her to a seated position.  
  
    “You alright, luv?” Tweed asked as she laid a hand on her shoulder.  
  
    The others were looking at her.  It was a look that she had seen so many times since her return… and even now it made her heart sink.  It suddenly became clear what had happened – she’d had another nightmare.  Worse yet, it had happened in full view of the team!  Panic and shame soon set in and was quickly followed by anger.  
  
    “I’m fine!” she replied bitterly as she pushed her partner’s hand away and got to her feet.  
  
    From the looks of things, most of the village had heard the commotion and were standing around the outskirts of their camp trying to ascertain what had happened.  No doubt she’d put them all in a panic thinking they were under attack… but that was something she couldn’t worry about right now.  She needed to get away from here.  She needed to **_hide_**.  
  
    Immediately, she began walking towards what remained of an old building overlooking the valley.  Upon entering the structure, the tears she’d been desperately trying to contain began spilling down her cheeks.  They were soon followed by her curses for engaging in such a humiliating display.  Whatever credit she had earned with Chris’ team had been shattered in a single moment.  What the hell was wrong with her?  Why couldn’t she control this?  Raising a hand, she bitterly wiped away the tears.  
  
    The looks… God, the **_looks_** had been horrible – once again putting her on display for the world to judge like some kind of science experiment.  But, it had been Fowler’s comment during her flight that had been the cutting knife.  
  
    _“I told y’all there was something wrong with her.”_  
  
    Jill shook her head and tried shifting her focus to the stars above, but the emotional tempest was raging inside of her like a hurricane.  This nightmare… it had been the most vivid of any she had ever had – and she was able to recall every terrifying detail.  For so many years she had wanted to put the missing pieces of her life back together.  Now she began to wonder if the answers she had so desperately sought were ones she really wanted to know.  
  
    _What in God’s name did he make me do?_  
  
    Before she could dwell on it any of further, a hand suddenly rested upon her shoulder, causing her to gasp in surprise.  Immediately, she tensed.  When she turned, Chris was standing there behind her; no doubt coming to check that she was alright.  She didn’t respond.  Instead, she returned her gaze back to the night sky; her eyes narrowing in frustration at his presence here.  
  
    “Jill,” he said gently, “we should talk about this.”  
  
    “Damn it, Chris!  I’m fine!” she replied in annoyance.  “I just need a moment.”  
  
    His comforting hand again tried to reassure her.   “Please, Jill… let me help.”  
  
    Her frustration immediately gave way to anger as she whipped around to face him.  “Don’t you get it? I don’t **_want_** your help!”  She pushed at his chest, wanting him to go away.  “This is **_my_** burden and **_I’ll_** deal with it!  The only thing I want you to do is to leave me alone!”  
  
    Again, she turned her back to him; the bitterness burning like fire inside of her.  But even in her anger, Jill began to question where its true source had come from.  Who was it that she was really angry with?  Had it really been Chris who had unjustifiably born the brunt of her rage… or herself?  
  
    _“Now is the time to prove yourself to me.”_  
  
    **_His_** words echoed again; the words of a madman.  The fear of what he had made her do now began eating at her like venom upon flesh.  If these nightmares did indeed contain clues to her lost time, then Wesker had turned her into something terrible.  After all, he was never a man to create “tools” without putting them to work for his nefarious purposes.  
  
    Chris remained standing there – the silence between them becoming more deafening with each passing second.  She had never been this cruel to him before, and he most likely had no idea at how to respond.  After a long moment had passed, his footsteps began echoing behind her – he was leaving.  However, just before he exited the structure, he stopped.  
  
    “I’ll give you your space if that’s what you want,” he said sadly.  “But you being alone?  That is something you will never be, Jill Valentine.”  
  
     The tears once again burned her eyes in a way that seemed to quell the anger inside.  He was her calming half – the genuine part of her life that she needed.  Even after her rebuke, he had reached out to her so that she would know that he’d always be there – all because he cared about her.  And Jill knew in her heart that she didn’t want him to go.  She needed him now more than ever.  
  
    “Wesker…” she uttered before he left.  “The nightmares… they’re always about Wesker.”  
  
    He stopped and stood there; silently encouraging her to continue.  Cradling her arms, Jill bowed her head and let the tears flow as she told him everything about the painful topic.  The nightmares had begun intermittently at first, but the images had been so disjointed that she couldn’t make sense of them.  During her counseling sessions, she’d only scratched the surface when it came to discussing the dreams, but for some reason she’d always held back.  Perhaps a part of her was afraid of what she would find if she opened that door.  Her adjustment had been hard enough, and at the time she had only wanted to reclaim her old life.  However, that road had been full of struggle as she tried to face her demons… alone.  There had been some days she had woken up from a dream and didn’t recognize where she was – no doubt side effects from Wesker’s mind control.  And with this last one…  
  
    His hands found there way to her shoulders, and this time she allowed herself to feel the warmth he wanted to provide her.  
  
    “Jesus, Jill…” he whispered once she had finished.  “Why didn’t you tell me?”  
  
    “I wanted my life back,” she replied.  “I wanted for things to be the way they were, but the more I tried to run from it, the faster it caught up with me.  So I tried to fix it myself… and I failed.”  
  
    His comforting arms found their way around her, pulling her back against him.  “You know that I’m here for you, Jill,” he whispered.  “I meant what I said earlier.  It doesn’t matter what we may find; just realize that you’re not alone in this fight.  I want to help you.”  
  
    Reaching up, she rested a hand upon his arm.  “I didn’t want to let you down… and I didn’t want to let your team down either.  Seems like I already blew that, though.”  
  
    “I don’t think that you give yourself **_or_** them enough credit,” Chris replied.  “Tweed and Harley really laid into Fowler after you left.  And there isn’t one member of our team that wouldn’t have your back.  The point is that despite everyone’s personality, they all respect you.  They have your back just like I do.”  
  
    A grin creased at the corner of her mouth, but she remained silent.  Words didn’t seem an appropriate response.  Instead, she rested back against him; letting his warmth sustaining her as they stared out into the darkened horizon.  His words were comforting just like they always were.  
  
    Chris was such a good man, and Jill knew how blessed she’d been to have him by her side.  Still, the darkness of her past overshadowed everything in her life... including their relationship.  Was she someone he truly wanted to spend the rest of his life with?  
  
    “Who am I, Chris?”  Turning around to face him, she slowly removed her cap and looked him in the eyes.  “I want you to take a good look at me.  What do you see?”  
  
    His expression betrayed the confusion at her question.  “I see you,” he replied.  
  
    She shook her head sadly.  “No.  You see the woman I used to be; the woman you remember from your past.”  Closing her eyes, she let out a wounded sigh.  “I’m not her anymore, Chris.  The partner I was died a long time ago at Wesker’s hands.  I’m all that remains.  I don’t want you to have any regrets…”  
  
    His lips prevented any further words as he pulled her against him and pressed his to hers.  Initially, she had tried to push him away; to stop him from doing this to her.  Right now her emotions were still in knots – tying her up so tight she couldn’t breathe.  But as she felt the warm insistence of his kiss and the passion it stirred within her, she soon ceased her struggle and instead buried her fingertips into the brown strands of his hair.  
  
    “I know who you are, Jill Valentine,” he said as he pressed his forehead to hers, “even if you’ve forgotten.  I’m going to stand by your side for the rest of our lives.  If I have any regrets, it’s that I waited this long.”  
  
    He took her hands and protectively clasped them within his before placing them against his chest.  “When I lost you, it tore me up more than you’ll ever know.  But then I got a miracle when you came back to me.”  He then tilted her chin up to look her in the eyes.  “I love you, Jill.”  
  
    Closing her eyes, Jill felt her tears begin stirring a sense of hope within her – the sense of long-forgotten joy.  
  
    “Chris, I…”  
  
    “Captain Redfield?”  Victor’s voice quickly shattered the moment.  “I beg your apologies for interrupting, but an urgent situation has developed that I must talk with you about.”  
  
    “If you’re worried about the commotion, I offer my apologies,” Chris replied.  “We’ve taken care of the situation.”  
  
    Their host’s eyes quickly looked at her before reverting back to Chris.  “I have already been made aware of what happened, but this is not what I wish to discuss with you.  A runner has delivered word from my father.  Please come with me.”  
  
    Victor led them toward an underground facility that served as the resistance’s headquarters.  When they arrived, three other individuals were peering over a map that lay spread out on a table.  He wasted no time bringing them up to speed.  
  
    “My father has sent word of Abkhazian troop movements traveling west toward the village of Massif,” he said as his finger pointed to a location roughly five miles away from them.  “We have no doubt that another reaping is being planned there.  He has requested reinforcements and…” Victor hesitated for a moment, “I am asking you to help us.”  
  
    “You want my team’s assistance?”  Chris asked in surprise.  
  
    “You are American, yes?  Then you understand the value of your capitalist system,” Victor replied.  “You and your team are professional soldiers and have experience in these matters; experience that we desperately need.  
  
    “Most of us here are nothing more than simple peasants and farmers – not warriors,” he continued.  “The only aid we can offer our fellow villagers is to help them escape before the army arrives.  But this is not always possible.  If your team is willing to assist us, we can save a greater number than we could on our own.”  
  
    He was trying to make a deal.  “So you want us to help you save this village in exchange for…?”  Jill asked.  
  
    “Please…” their host repeated.  “If you help us, then we will help you find the evidence you seek.”  
  
    So there it was.  Everything they had been trying to avoid was now becoming unavoidable.  Conflict… ever so present in this region was now trying to bring them into this fight.  It was a difficult decision.  Not one in terms of what needed to be done; that was already obvious.  None of them could access the BSAA’s satellite feed which meant they were blind in trying to find the location of the Russian gunship.  That meant they needed to rely on local intelligence – the cost of which meant putting Viper Squad in danger.  
  
    Chris had been staring down at the map; his look full of concern.  His eyes then met hers; their partnership so in tune that no words had needed to be spoken concerning his question.  With a reassuring grin, Jill nodded her head in response.  
  
    “Jill, assemble Viper Squad,” he ordered before returning his gaze to the map.  “We’re going on a rescue mission.”  
  
    

  
  ** _Next: Chapter 2-2: Reaping_**


End file.
